K-Online!
by kingofbeasts
Summary: When Mio and Ritsu try out the new game Sword Art Online, they thought it would be for fun. Little did they now that they were in for a dangerous adventure in which their lives hang on the balance.
1. Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

_Disclaimer: I own neither Sword Art Online nor K-On. It would be weird if I did._

KingofBeasts Productions Present:

_**K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover**_

**Chapter 1**

"Sword Art Online, huh?"

Understandably, Mio Akiyama was quite hesitant to try out the new game. Mugi was able to get her hands on her own Nerve Gear (and a few units for each of them), but will be out of town for a few weeks. Yui and her sister Ui were visiting other relatives, while Azusa was going to be at Training Camp with the Light Music Club.

So, that left Mio and her good friend Ritsu Tainaka as the only members of Hokago Tea Time to play Sword Art Online, the newest gaming craze to sweep the Japan. Ritsu was able to secure accounts for both of them early on, intending to drag her along for the ride. They agreed to meet up online over Spring Break to try out the game.

"It's crazy!" Ritsu said over the phone as she watched the news. There were literally hundreds, even thousands, of people lining up the stores for hours just to get their hands on the new game. "We're lucky that Mugi got her hands on that game, otherwise we'd be lining up as well!"

Mio nodded, though her brown eyes reflected uncertainty. "The only reason I'm going to play was because you dragged me into this, Ritsu." she sighed. Plus, she isn't as into game as Ritsu was, so understandably she was apprehensive of playing an online game.

"Aw c'mon, Mio!" She pleaded over the phone "It'll be fun, I promise!"

Mio chuckled at that response. It was the same back then: Ritsu dragged her along to join the Light Music Club back when they were High School freshmen. The rest, as they say, was history.

"Alright, alright." She sighed in defeat "I'll give it a shot."

"I'll see you online, then!" Ritsu said cheerfully before she hung up her phone. "Oh, Ricchan." Mio chuckled as she put down the phone "She'll never change..."

She turned on her new Nerve Gear and got it warmed up. Excited, she put it on, a small smile showing on her face.

_This might be fun after all..._

~0~

After finishing the tasks of logging in to your account (She nearly forgot her password) and choosing an in-game name for herself (She settled on her own name after seeing that "Elizabeth" was taken), Mio finally got inside the game. She looked around, then lifted up her arms.

_S-sugoi*! _She thought in awe. She could feel her neck turning and her arms moving as it would in real life. She took a short walk around the town and, to her amazement, she could feel as if she were lifting her own legs in the real world.

She took a stroll to the fountain and looked at her reflection. She was surprised, for she found that her appearance changed somewhat. Her frame was taller, and her face had a more mature air around her. If anything, she looked much like a twenty seven year old version of herself.

"This is amazing..." She said out loud, dumbfounded by the wonders NerveGear had shown her so far. "For the programmer to accomplish something like this. It's unbelievable!" She looked around to find many other people popping up before her, new players logging in to their new accounts to start their new adventure.

_Which reminds me_, Mio thought as she made her way through the town._ I have to find Ricchan!_

~0~

It had already been an hour, yet there was no sign of Ritsu anywhere. Sighing, she made her way out to the fields just so she can get a feel on how to use the game's battle system.

The only problem was that being the scaredy-cat she is, the Frenzy Boars absolutely terrified her. This did not help one bit when one of them was chasing her all over the field.

"RITSU, WHERE ARE YOUUU?!" She wailed as the her opponent gave chase "I WANNA GO HOME!"

After twenty minutes or so of this, she was eventually caught between a rock and a hard place as the boar cornered her. Seeing that she had no choice but to fight, she drew her Beginner's Sword and held it in front of her. Her arms were trembling in fear, barely able to hold her weapon in her grasp.

"D-don't come any closer!" She stammered, her eyes wide and her legs shaking. Smelling her fear, the boar stalked her. The closer it got, the more Mio trembled. "S-stay back!" She threatened, but was failing as the boar slowly came nearer.

_This is it_. Mio thought to herself, completely forgetting that if you die in a video game, you can always respawn. _I'm about to become pig food._

She closer her eyes and braced herself for a blow, only that it never came. She opened one eye when she heard it squeal in pain, only to see that it was struck by a rock.

"Are you okay, miss?" She looked at her saviors; two males, one with short black hair and one with long red hair and a bandanna over his head. "I-I'm fine." Mio sighed in relief, looking at the two gratefully.

"We'll grab it's attention." The black haired boy called to her "You go in for the killing blow."

"B-but I can't..." Mio stammered, only to receive a grin from the redhead "It's alright." He told her "I got my butt whupped by one of these things earlier. Just do as I do."

He took a deep breath and positioned his blade behind him. After a slight delay, the sword began to glow. Using that moment to strike, he slashed at the Frenzy Boar, damaging it greatly but not killing it.

"Your turn!" He called out to Mio "When using your Sword Skill, just charge it until it's ready, then let it explode!"

She nodded, and got into position and took a deep breath. Sure enough, her own weapon began to glow. The other person nimbly dodged the boar's charge and jabbed it's side. With it's HP in the red, it charged at Mio in desperation, singling her out as the weakest.

It never saw what was next coming.

"HA!" With a roar of determination, Mio thrust her charged blade right at the Frenzy Boar, reducing it's lifebar to zero. As a result, the boar vanished into thin air and a window popped up showing her the experience and col she won.

In her amazement, Mio dropped her sword. "I...I won." She turned to the other two with glee in her eyes "I won!" She ran and glomped them both "Oh, thank you so much! My name's Mio, by the way."

"No problem." The redhead patted her back "It's no big deal." He smiled as she pulled back "The name's Klein, and this guy's Kirito. He was a beta tester and he's been teaching me a lot!"

Confused, Mio cocked her head to the side "Beta Tester?"

"It means that he tested the game out first, silly." Mio turned to see Ritsu, her hair longer and looking older as she was, grinning. "R-Ritsu?!" Mio exclaimed, pointing at her friend shocked. "Call me Taiga now!" Ritsu pointed a thumb at herself with a confident air around her "Like, you know, a tiger!"

"How did you find me?" Mio asked her friend "I was looking all over for you!"

"Well, you're the only I know who'd use her actual name for a game." Taiga chuckled "Which is lame, by the way."

"Very funny." Mio pouted, then remembered that Kirito and Klein, who were just staring at them. "Sorry." She laughed sheepishly "This is Kirito and Klein. Guys, this is Ri- I mean, Taiga. They just taught me how to fight here."

"Nice to meet ya!" Taiga waved at them. "So, you were Beta Tester, huh?" She grinned at Kirito "So cool! Only a thousand of people got that chance! I'm so jealous!" Kirito laughed nervously in response. "It's nothing really..."

"Hey, don't short change yourself!" Klein laughed as he slapped him hard on the back "If it weren't for you, I'd be getting my ass handed to me all day!"

Mio couldn't help but smile; in her first day in SAO, she had already made two new friends.

"C'mon!" She got startled when Ritsu grabbed her hand "I wanna see more of this place!"

"O-okay!" Mio got dragged along, but still had time to turn to Kirito and Klein, who waved at them "It was nice to meet you both! Hope to see you again!"

~0~

_Hours Later..._

"Ah, this is the life!" exclaimed Taiga as she dropped on the meadow with a thud. Mio just shook her head while letting out a small laugh. This was typical Ritsu. Always so easy-going, always so cheerful. That's one of the reasons why Mio cherished their friendship, for she can always put her at ease whenever she was troubled.

"Say," Taiga said thoughtfully "If this game allows us to play music, we can get the others in here! Hokago Tea Time goes digital, baby! We'll be virtual rock stars!" She pumped her fist in the air with a grin for emphasis.

This caused Mio to laugh out loud. "You might be right." She chuckled as she lay beside her friend "This could be useful for publicity. If we perform enough, we might get some fans."

"See?" Taiga nudged her happily "I told you you'd like this game." This caused Mio to sigh "Alright, alright." She replied with a smile "I suppose you can get it right every once in a while."

"Don't I know it!" Taiga chuckled "Man, what a day, huh?"

"Yeah..." said Mio thoughtfully "This game is amazing." Taiga nodded in agreement. At that time, the sun began to set.

"Will you look at the time?" Taiga chuckled "It's already sunset." Her stomach rumbled as a result. "That's right!" Mio sat up as if she was jolted "I have to prepare dinner soon!" Taiga sighed "Looks like we'll have to come back later."

"And bring the others with us too." Mio chuckled, her in-game menu creating a ringing sound as she accessed her options. "Uhm, Taiga?"

"Yeah, Mio?" She sat up, her eyes had a questioning look towards her. "Where's the log-out button?"

"Are you serious, Mio?" Taiga sighed, remembering that it was Mio's first time with this kind of game. "You just go to your menu like this end..." Her eyes widened in shock when she found an empy slot where the log-out option was supposed to be.

"This can't be right..." Taiga said quietly "There should be a log out icon here..."

"What do you think happened?" Mio wondered aloud "Most likely a bug." Taiga said thoughtfully "Or a glitch that the system administrator is taking care of."

"Can we try to remove the NerveGear ourselves?"

"I doubt it. From what I read, it intercepts what actions we do outside and apply it to the game. That means all we can do is wait. I mean, it's the game's first day. There's bound to be some slip ups. I suppose all we can do is wait."

Mio nodded quietly in agreement. Though, truthfully, she was getting a very bad feeling about this...

~0~

At that moment, the bell began to ring ominously.

"What's going on?" Mio asked Taiga, who shrugged "I wish I knew." She replied. Mio gasped in surprise when a blue light engulfed her, causing her to vanish without a trace. "Mio!" Taiga called out to her friend, only to find that same blue light engulfing her as well. "What the-?!"

They both found themselves at the Town of Beginnings, along with the countless other players. Mio noticed that they were just as confused as she was, hearing murmurs such as "What's going on?", "What are we doing here?" and, most importantly, "Why can't we log out?"

"Hey, isn't that Kirito-san and Klein-san?" Mio whispered to Taiga, who nodded in response. "Hey guys!" They both turned to see the girls approach them. "Mio-san! Taiga-san!" Klein greeted them. "Hey! Do you know what's going on?" Taiga asked them both.

"Afraid not." Kirito sighed, then took a look at beeping red icon that said "Warning" on the sky. "Though I think we're about to find out..."

Suddenly, an alarm sound filled the air as many of those icons covered the sky, blanketing town square in an eerie red glow. "What now?!" Taiga said as she watched the skies worriedly. Soon enough red slime came oozing out of the icons.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Mio's face looked pale, the image of the ooze pouring out not agreeing with her stomach. The slime joined together and eventually formed a giant man in a huge red cloak. Mio clung onto Taiga tightly, her eyes wide with fear. The man had an eerie aura about him.

"Attention, Players!" It bellowed in a deep voice "Welcome to my World!"

"'My world?'" Kirito asked quietly "Something tells me that this isn't an event..." Taiga said, never keeping her eyes of the man.

"My name is Kayaba Akihiko, and as of this moment, I am the sole person that can control this world."

Ignoring the stunned murmurs around him, he continued "I'm sure you've already noticed that your log-out button is missing from your main menu."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Taiga shouted at the figure "Is it a bug or something?" The robed figure just chuckled as a response "Nothing of the sort. It is not a defect of the game. I repeat, it is not a defect of the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online."

"F-feature?" Klein said quietly, his face showing his shock. Mio gulped, slowly comprehending the hooded man's words. "You cannot log out of Sword Art Online by yourselves." He continued "Also, no one on the outside can remove or shut down the Nerve Gear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter will emit a powerful microwave that will destroy your brain and end your life."

Many panicked murmurs sounded from the assembly, with some trying to leave only to find themselves blocked by a force field. "He's gotta be nuts, right?" Klein asked the others. "He's right that the transmitter's signals work like a microwave." Kirito answered "If the safety were disabled, it could fry a brain."

Mio's face paled at that image. "Can't we try and turn it off?" Taiga asked him, who just shook his head "That won't work. The Nerve Gear has an internal battery." All their eyes widened at that revelation. "This is crazy!" Klein exclaimed "What's going on?!"

"Unfortunately, several player's friends and family ignored the warning and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As of now, 213 players have left us, both from Aincrad and the real world, forever."

"Two hundred and thirteen?" Kirito said in shock "No..." Mio's eyes widened, reflecting the fear and hopelessness she felt.

"As you can see," Various newsfeed depicting reports of the incident, the deaths included, began popping up around him "All this, including the deaths, are being reported all over the world. Thus, we can safely assume that the danger of removing the Nerve Gear has been reduced to a minimal. I hope that you will relax and attempt to clear the game."

"This is crazy..." Taiga growled, her body trembling with rage. "But I want you to remember this clearly: As of right now, there is no longer any method of reviving yourself within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously...The Nerve Gear will destroy your brain."

Mio and Taiga gasped at what they heard. They immediately realized that this was no mere game anymore. It had essentially become a fight for survival.

"There is only one means of escape: Clear the game." The robed figure showed them a diagram of the game. "Currently, you are at the lowest level of Aincrad. If you manage to defeat the floor boss, you can advance to the next level. To beat the game, you must defeat the Final Boss at Floor 100."

"Clear the game?" and such were heard all over the town square. "He's nuts." Klein growled "The beta testers never made it that high!"

"Finally," The hooded man said "I've added a present from me in your item storage. Please see for yourselves."

Everyone proceeded to check their inventory, only to find a Mirror. "Huh?" Taiga asked "What's this?" She quickly turned when Mio screamed, seeing her engulfed in blue light. "Mio!" She managed to shout before being immersed in light herself, as did everyone assembled in the town square.

"A-are you alright?" Mio turned to Taiga "I'm fine, I'm fine." She responded, only to blink in surprise at her friend. "What is it?" Mio asked, looking shocked then immediately looked at the Mirror again.

"I-I'm me?!" She gasped when she found that she reverted to her appearance in the real world, then turned to Taiga, who's appearance also changed "And you're Ricchan again!"

"I know!" Taiga exclaimed "What's happening now?!"

"It's the Nerve Gear." They both turned to see Kirito, whose appearance changed into a boy just about their age "It covers your face in a high-density signaling device. So, it knows what your face looks like."

"Howabout our bodies?" Mio asked "How did it manage to copy our bodies exactly?"

"Hang on," Klein spoke up, his appearance reverting to having shorter hair. "It had us calibrate when we first used it, right?"

"Yeah. You had to touch your body all over." Taiga nodded in agreement "That must be how it copied our bodies."

"But why?!" Mio asked, tears welling up her eyes "Why go through all this?!" Kirito hushed her and pointed at Kayaba "Maybe he'll tell us."

"Now, I bet you're wondering: 'Why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, the man who developed Sword Art Online and NerveGear, do this? My goal has been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason: To create this world and intervene in it."

"Kayaba..." Kirito growled, glaring at the figure. "Now it is complete." Kayaba said as he surveyed all that was around him. "That concludes the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck players." With that chilling line, he began to dissipate in smoke, and the sky immediately returned to normal.

For a moment, there was complete silence. "N-no..." Mio dropped to her knees and broke down, her tears and her despair pouring like a waterfall. "Yui-chan, Mugi-chan, Azu-nyan...I'll never see them again..."

"Mio-chan..." Taiga looked at her friend sadly and wrapped her arms around her. One panicked scream later, pandemonium broke out. Shouts of "Screw this!" and "Let me out of here!" echoed the square as players shouted and yelled, knowing that Kayaba can hear them.

"Come with me, Klein." Kirito grabbed him by the arm. "B-but..." He looked at Mio and Taiga, the latter who just smiled at him.

"Go on ahead," She reassured them as she held Mio tightly "We'll figure out our own thing. Don't worry about us. We'll meet again." The two nodded at them, Klein smiling gratefully, then went on ahead.

"R-Ricchan..." Mio sniffed, crying on her friend's shoulder "We'll die here...We'll never see our friends again..."

"No we won't." Taiga said firmly as she pulled back, holding Mio by the shoulders "And yes we will. We'll fight our way out. We'll finish this game, no matter how long it will take. And we'll do this together, like we always have."

"T-together?" Mio said, sniffing a little. "Yes," She smiled softly at her "Together. Now, let's stop lying about here and get to the next town. Everyone's going to be farming like crazy here..."

"Yeah, you're right." Mio finally smiled, wiping the tears away "Thanks, Ricchan." She gave her friend a tight hug "You always know how to cheer me up."

"No prob." She chuckled "And it's Taiga here. Remember?"

"Oh right." Mio chuckled back. Taiga offered her hand to me "So, shall we?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Mio giggled as she grabbed her friend's hand. They ran out of town and, thus began what would be their greatest adventure.

**End Chapter 1**

_A/N: Yes, dear readers! Your eyes do not deceive you! It's a Sword Art Online x K-On! Fanfic! I bet you're wondering: Why make such a fic? Well, let's just say I happened to watch K-On again after watching SAO, and the rest was history. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until then, see you all next chapter!_


	2. Chapter 2: On the Eve of War

_Disclaimer: I own neither Sword Art Online nor K-On. That would be cool, but I'd ruin them both.x))_

KingofBeasts Productions Presents:

_**K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover**_

**Chapter 2**

The Town of Torbana, December 2, 2022.

"C'mon Mio! We're late for the meeting!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" whined Mio, a.k.a Mio Akiyama, as her friend Taiga, a.k.a Ritsu Tainaka, egged her to hurry up. It had been a month since they've been trapped in the death game known as Sword Art Online, and already 2,000 players have died since then. It didn't help that no one had found the Floor Boss yet.

That is, until today.

"Hurry up! We'll miss it if we don't get there soon!" urged Taiga who, along with Mio, had gained some decent gear and levels over the month. She now wore a small breastplate that covered her chest, and had long abandoned her [Beginner's Sword] for the [Whacker], a two handed wooden mallet she earned from a quest two villages back.

"What's so important about the meeting anyway?" asked Mio, who carried with her a standard [Katana]. She was clad in a white long sleeve blouse, blue vest, black trousers that hugged her figure. She also wore [Leather Boots] with an agility stat increase that she won off a short quest.

"We'll be discussing how to beat the Floor Boss today! That's why a lot of players will be gathering there!" Taiga answered back, hoping that Mio would catch up to her "You don't wanna rush into battle if you don't have a strategy, y'know!"

"I guess you're right." Mio sighed exasperatedly. Inside, though, she was impressed with her friend's forethought. Normal, it would be either Azusa or Mio herself that would plan for things ahead of time.

_Something good came from being in this game after all._ She smiled to herself.

Yet, she felt very uneasy.

"Hey, Taiga?"

"What is it?" She asked as Mio caught up with her.

"Do you think we'll be able to beat the floor boss?" Mio asked, her eyes reflecting her uncertainty "We were able to survive up to now, but I can't help it. I'm still worried..."

Taiga turned to her friend with a reassuring smile "We've beaten whatever came up against us so far, so I think we'll be able to make it." She stopped her running to pat Mio on the shoulder "Don't forget, we only made it here 'cause we stuck together. That won't change, especially now."

Upon hearing this, Mio smiled and nodded. She was glad that Ricchan was still Ricchan, even if they were fighting for their lives in an alien world. "Thanks, Ritsu." She smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"It's Taiga! Why do you keep forgetting?!" She sighed in exasperation as they continued to run towards the meeting place.

~0~

"Whew! We made it!" Taiga panted, catching her breath from trying to make it to the meeting on time.

"Let's go get a seat." Mio suggested as players began to pile up on the theater. They managed to snag a couple of seats on the farther end when they saw a familiar face a few seats away from them.

"Hey, isn't that Kirito-san?" Mio whispered to Taiga once they caught a glimpse of the black-haired boy they met when the game first started.

"You're right!" Taiga's face lit up when she recognized him "Oi, Kirito-san!" She called out to him, and he recognized them with a smile. She was immediately shushed by Mio when a blue haired man in armor approached the front to address the audience.

"Thank you all for coming today!" the man said to everyone "My name's Diabel, and you could say that my job is a knight!"

That earned a him a good amount of laughs from the crowd. "Nice one, dude!" Taiga shouted from her seat.

After the laughter ended, Diabel's mirthful expression turned serious. "Today, our party found the boss' lair at the top of the tower."

Astonished gasps rang out in the theater. Mio took a big gulp, listening intently despite her nervousness.

"We have to beat the boss, reach the second floor, and make sure everyone waiting at the Beginner Town knows that it's possible to beat this game!" Diabel continued vigorously "Everyone here will now be participating. What do you say?"

It started with few approving nods, then it grew into a round of applause along with some whistles. "Alright!" Taiga roared in agreement. Mio glanced at Kirito, who had a small smile on his face. This brought a smile on her face as well.

"Okay!" Diabel said after the applause ended "We need to come up with a plan to defeat the floor boss. First, we'll divide everyone into parties of six!" This caused the crowd to scatter, scrambling as they intended to complete their parties.

"Hey, can we-" Taiga began as she approached someone, only to have the guy shake his head.

"Sorry, we're already full." He told them.

"Thanks anyway." Taiga sighed. After a few minutes or so of this, she threw her hands up in defeat. "This is recruitment week all over again..."

Mio chuckled, remembering the time they had to recruit members for the Light Music Club "Well, at least we're not in animal costumes." She quipped, which caused Taiga to laugh.

"That's true." She agreed.

"Hey, why don't we join Kirito-san?" Mio asked, noting that his party only consisted of him and a hooded figure. A girl, by the looks of it. "Looks like his party needs a few more people."

"Good idea!" Taiga grinned, then took the lead as she and Mio approached them. "Looks like you could use some members. Mind if we tag along?"

Kirito turned to see the two girls he met with Klein on the first day. Smiling gratefully, he turned to the hooded girl.

"Is it okay if these two joined us?" He asked her and she nodded without a word. Seeing that as a positive sign, Kirito turned to the other two with a smile "You two can come along."

"Alright!" Taiga pumped her fist to the air joyfully. "We got ourselves a party!"

Mio just shook her head, but was happy nonetheless. _At least we have a familiar face..._

She was shaken out of her thoughts when she saw Kirito extend a hand towards her.

"I hope we can work together." He said with a small smile on his face. This caused Mio to blush furiously as she shook his hand.

"I-I hope we can get along." She stammered, a strange warm feeling buzzing inside her as he gave them both party invitations. Unfortunately, this was not unnoticed by Taiga, who gave her a sly smirk.

As soon as she accepted, she saw the life bars of Taiga, Kirito and the stranger pop up below hers. _Asuna, huh? _

"Are you done making your parties?" Diabel asked the crowed "Then-"

"Wait a sec!"

All turned to see a man, who looked about 30 years old or more, make several leaps from the back to the very front of the stage. He had spiked hair and a small goatee.

"My name's Kibaou!" he began "I just wanna say somethin' before we take this thing one."

"What's with this guy?" Taiga whispered to Mio "He looks like a friggin' porcupine, if ya ask me."

Seeing no negative reactions, he continued. "Some of you need to apologize for the thousands that died so far!" He pointed an accusing finger at the crowd, which caused them to gasp in surprise.

"Kibaou-san," Diabel inquired "Are you saying the beta testers should apologize?"

"Of course I am!" Kibaou continued his outburst "The day this stupid game started, the testers ditched the newbies and left us to die! They took all the good grinding spots and quests for themselves while they ignored the rest of us!"

"Kirito-san..." Mio murmured while she glanced at the boy, who wore an uneasy expression on his face. She and Taiga knew that he was beta-tester, so they imagined how hard this would be for him.

"Who does this guy think he is?" Taiga muttered while watching him, growing frustrated by this idiot's audacity.

"I have no doubt that someone is here from the beta!" Kibaou continued in a accusing tone "They should get down on their knees and apologize, and give up all the items and money they've saved. Otherwise, we can't trust them to protect us as party members and they can't trust us either!"

Taiga was about to come up there and sock him personally when another individual went up the stage.

"Hang on a sec." the man said as he approached. He looked very intimidating; bald head, a beard and black skin with a tall and muscular frame. He wore a decent amount of armor on top while carrying an imposing battle-axe on his back.

"The name's Agil." The man continued in a deep, calm baritone "I just want to make sure that I understand you correctly. Are you saying so many beginners died because the beta testers didn't babysit them? That they should take responsibility and provide compensation?"

"T-that's right!" Kibaou stuttered, obviously intimidated by the man's size.

Agil reached for his pocket and took out a small booklet. "You have this guide book, don't you? They gave it out for free at the shops."

"'Course I did." Kibaou answered him "Who cares?"

"So did we actually." Mio said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear as she took hers out "But what does this have to do with your point?"

Agil turned to her with a kind smile "You'll find out in a while, little lady." He then turned back to Kibaou with the same calm, yet serious, expression from earlier. "It was compiled from the information provided by the beta testers themselves."

This incited gasps from the crowd while Taiga grinned happily.

"Listen," Agil continued as he addressed the audience "Everyone had equal access to the information, yet many players have died despite this."

"We're getting way off track here, guys!" Taiga chimed in, her boisterous personality shining through as she stood up. "Weren't we here to talk about how to beat the boss, and not whine like a bunch of babies?"

"Way to put it, Taiga." Mio chuckled. It's funny that, even in a game genre that often shows a player's change in personality, Taiga was still very much her usual, upbeat self.

"I'll have to agree with the girl." Agil laughed slightly "We ought to learn from their deaths and apply what we've learned to beat the boss."

He turned to Kibaou with a slient glare, which caused him to back off and return to his seat. Taiga grinned at that, happy to see Agil school the idiot.

"Let's continue then." Diabel finally spoke up. They talked about the latest information on the boss, known as Illfang the Kobold Lord. They covered his add-ons (Ruin Kobold Sentinels), his life total (Four Bars), his arsenal (Wields an axe and buckler, but switches to a talwar upon his last life bar) and his tactics which change upon the last bar.

"And that concludes the briefing!" he said as he ended the meeting "Finally, items will be randomly distributed while the exp goes to the party that lands the last blow. Also, whoever gets an item keeps it. Any objections?"

"Not really." Taiga sighed as she stretched her back, finally relieved that the meeting was over. Meanwhile, Mio kept glancing at Asuna, trying to measure her up.

"Okay, we'll leave tomorrow morning at ten!" Diabel said as he dismissed the assembly "See you there!"

"I'm glad that's over!" Taiga said as she reclined, watching the other players leave.

"Yeah." Kirito sighed, relieved that he was not outed. He turned to Taiga with a smile "Thanks for the save, by the way."

"You helped Mio-chan on the first day. It's the least I could do." Taiga grinned as she slapped Kirito's back, causing him to lurch a bit.

Suddenly, Asuna stood up and made her way outside without a word.

"Not much of a talker, is she?" Taiga sighed as she watched the girl leave.

"O-oh yeah!" Mio stuttered as she addressed Kirito "I've been meaning to ask, how's Klein? He was with you the last time we saw each other."

He looked down sadly upon hearing the question "He stayed behind to help his friends."

"Oh." Mio said quietly. She was hoping to see the red-head among the people in the meeting. Upon seeing Kirito's sad expression, she gave him a small smile "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's got his friends with him after all."

"I suppose you're right." Kirito smiled "Thanks, Mio." With that, he stood up and made his way outside.

"Someone's got a crush." Taiga whispered to Mio's ear, which caused her to jump up in shock.

"Don't do that!" Mio yelled as she bopped Taiga on the head. "And no, I don't!"

"How do you explain all the blushing and the stammering, eh?" Taiga asked, grinning from ear to ear. For a moment, there was absolute silence between the two as walked out of the theatre last.

"S-shut up, Ricchan..."

~0~

The Floor Dungeon. December 3, 2022

This was it.

They had climbed the tower and now stand before a giant iron door. No doubt that this is where the boss resided. The assembled players, with Diabel at the head, stood outside ready to storm the gates.

"Listen up, everyone!" Diabel said as he faced the group "I only have one thing to say: Let's win!"

Mio and Taiga nodded, their eyes burning with determination. _We're going to get out of here, no matter what! _

They turned to Kirito and Asuna, who nodded as well.

"Let's go!" With that, Diabel opened the door, revealing darkness within.

"Do you think it's not here?" Mio said as the players entered the room, her left hand gripping her sword tightly.

As if answering her question, a pair of red eyes glowed in the darkness. Instantly, the room lit up, revealing the massive boss, [Illfang the Kobold Lord]. He leaped from his throne, landing in front of them. With axe and buckler in hand, he gave a mighty roar, spawning [Ruin Kobold Sentinels] to his side.

"So scary..." Mio trembled in fear, her hands shaking as she gripped her katana. She suddenly felt a warm hand on her shoulder and, upon turning, she saw that it was Kirito's.

"Don't worry." He gave her a reassuring smile "We'll make it through this together."

"Yeah." Taiga piped in with a grin "Just stick to the plan, and we'll be fine." At the same time, Asuna nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, guys." Mio smiled gratefully at her party. Her trembling stopped, her grip on her weapon firm. _We have to beat this game, no matter what._ She thought determinedly to herself _So that we can come home to everyone..._

"Attack!" Diabel barked as soon as [Illfang] and his [Sentinels] went on the offensive, prompting the gathered players to counter-charge the approaching boss.

With that, the battle had begun.

**End Chapter 2**

_A/N: Yohoho! It's me again, peeps! First of, thanks for taking the time to read this story! I actually intended to write this and Chapter 3 together, but I figured that it was too long. So, I decided to split it into two chapters instead. Anyways, that'll be all for now. Have fun with Chapter 3!_

_Next Time on K-Online!: Battle for the First Floor_


	3. Chapter 3: Battle for the First Floor

_Disclaimer: I don't own K-On nor SAO. I repeat, I own neither of the two animes. You may now resume your regularly scheduled fanfiction._

KingofBeasts Productions Presents:

_**K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover**_

**Chapter 3: Battle for the First Floor**

Last we left our heroes and heroines, they were about to engage in battle with Illfang the Kobold Lord, and his minions the Ruin

As soon as both sides met, the battle was in full swing.

While Diabel was barking orders and most of the players where busy with the boss, Kirito's party were tasked with taking out the [Ruin Kobold Sentinels]

"Oh no, you don't!" Taiga growled as she swung her hammer upward to meet Kobold's mace, the two weapons clashing in a deadlock. After a short struggle, she was able to force it back, leaving a huge opening. "Mio, switch!"

Mio immediately rushed in, taking advantage of the opportunity Taiga gave her. With her [Long Sword] glowing in her left hand, she swung it in a wide horizontal arc. "Ha!" She was successful in nailing the creature on the gut. Not giving it any room to breathe, she brought her [Long Sword] down with one vertical strike, slicing the Kobold in half as it shattered into dust.

"Not bad, Mio-chan!" Taiga grinned as she gave her friends a thumbs up. She then turned her attention to Kirito and Asuna, the latter having stabbed a [Ruin Kobold Sentinel] into oblivion with her rapier.

"She's good." Mio said admiration of her speed and reflexes, with Taiga nodding in agreement.

Soon enough, Illfang's was down to his last life bar after a long and drawn out battle.

"We got him right where we want him!" Taiga declared as she brought her hammer down on a Kobold's head.

Illfang roared and discarded his axe and buckler, just as the guide said he would. "Stand back!" Diabel ordered the others as he went to face the boss himself.

"What's he doing?" Mio asked as she parried a strike aim for her head with her sword "Weren't we supposed to surround him?"

"Yeah," Kirito said quietly, swatting a Kobold's weapon aside to give Asuna an opening.

As this was all going on, Illfang reached for the weapon on his back and drew it slowly. Diabel, for his part, stood defiantly before the boss. His sword began glowing as he was ready to make the final blow.

"Wait a minute, that's not a talwar!" Kirito's eyes widened in horror "It's a no-dachi!"

"They changed it?!" Taiga exclaimed on in shock.

"Oh no..." Mio said, her fear slowly returning.

"Don't do it!" Kirito warned Diabel "Jump back as fast as you can!"

His warning came too late. Illfang jumped up and zipped around the ceiling, confusing Diabel. He finally bore down him and landed a deadly blow on him. With speed unheard of for his side, Illfang zoomed behind and swung at Diabel again, the force sending him all the way back.

"Diabel-san!" Taiga shouted as Kirito ran to his side, experiencing the worst. At the same time, Illfang landed in the midst of the players, taking advantage of the pandemonium caused by Diabel's fall.

Moments later, Diabel died in Kirito's arms, vanishing into dust. As he vanished, so did much of the player's morale.

"W-we're going to die here..." Mio said quietly, going to her knees and crying as chaos went on around her, Illfang threatening to wipe the group.

"Mio..." Taiga knelt beside her friend, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's over, Ritsu." Mio kept trembling, her tears gushing like a torrent "We're not going to make it..."

"Yes, we are!" Taiga forced her to meet her gaze "Listen to me; we're going to survive this. After this boss, we'll make it all the way to the 100th floor and get out of here. We'll go home to everyone. But to do that, I need you to believe in me as much as I believe in you, okay?"

Mio stayed silent for a while with her head down, thinking of Taiga's words. Finally, she looked up at her, giving her friend a sincere smile. "Thanks, Ricchan."

"Anytime." Taiga smiled as she stood up and offered her hand to Mio "'Sides," they both turned to see Kirito and Asuna walk towards Illfang defiantly, their weapons drawn. "We can't let them look cool by themselves."

"Of course not." Mio chuckled as she took Taiga's hand and stood up. She gripped her weapon tightly, her courage renewed, as she and Taiga rejoined the fight.

"Got room for one more?" They both turned to see a grinning Agil who was eager to get into the fray.

"I like your style, Agil-san." Taiga chuckled. At that moment, Asuna was about to charge when Kirito gave her an opening, only to find that Illfang recovered quick enough to strike.

"Asuna-san, watch out!" Mio called to her about the same time Kirito did. Luckily, she was able to react quickly enough to dodge the blade. As a result, the cloak that concealed her was destroyed, revealing a girl with long, strawberry blonde hair. Her light brown eyes reflected her determination as she struck Illfang with several rapid thrusts.

All the three of them could do was stand there and gawk at the girl who fought with the agility, elegance and grace befitting her style.

"To be honest, I didn't see this coming." Taiga chuckled. She, Mio and Agil watched as the two held their own against the boss, Kirito parrying every attack while Asuna took advantage of each opening. It looked like they were going to win.

"Damn it!" Kirito managed to parry Illfang, only for him to recover quickly and deal a nasty (though thankfully not fatal) blow that sent him crashing into Asuna. Soon enough Illfang stood before them, ready to bring down his massive weapon on the two

"They need our help!" Taiga yelled to the other two as she ran towards Asuna, who raised her rapier in an attempt to block. Agil and Mio nodded, charging in as well and follow Taiga's lead.

"Rrrraaaah!" The three joined their weapons and team blocked Illfang, who was sent skidding backwards due to the force.

"Go get 'em boys!" Taiga barked as several other players joined the fray. She giggled as she went in to join them.

"We'll hold 'em until you recover." Agil said before charging in himself.

"But don't get too comfortable there." Mio gave them a teasing wink before following in.

"You guys..." Kirito smiled gratefully at the three, watching as they kept the pressure on Illfang.

"Keep it up!" Agil said to the others as he swiped with his axe "We can do this!"

"Right!" Mio and Taiga responded, swinging their weapons with vigor as they forced the boss on the defensive. Despite their efforts, though, Illfang was able to recover. The boss knocked them all aside with sheer force.

"Owowow!" Mio whined as she fell on her back. Fortunately, Taiga acted as a cushion and broke her fall.

"What are you whining about?!" Taiga grumbled since Mio landed on her. Both their eyes widened in fear when they saw Illfang jump into the air, just about ready to smash them with his sword.

"Not a chance!" Kirito lunged, his sword glowing, and collided with the boss. He landed a huge slash that ran across the boss' torso and sent him to the ground with a big crash.

"Asuna!" He called out to his partner as he charged at the recovering Illfang "One more strike! We'll do this together!"

"Roger!" She replied back, joining him in his final assault.

"Wow..." Mio said in awe, watching them charge at the boss "Look at them go."

"Yup." Agil said, smiling as he got to his feet. "Like it or not, it's all up to them now." He offered a hand to both her and Taiga.

"That's true." Taiga chuckled as she and Mio took his hand as he hoisted them up.

"HAAAA!" Kirito made the first strike, followed by Asuna jabbing at the boss' gut with rapid thrusts and another slash from Kirito. Finally, with one mighty roar, he finished him off with one gigantic slash that bisected the massive beast. A moment later, Illfang the Kobold Lord vanished, disappearing into dust.

"We did it..." Mio said quietly, her mouth slowly forming into a smile. "We won!" She dropped [Long Sword] and glomped Taiga while Agil watched with a smile, tears of joy streaming on her face. "WE WON!"

Instantly, shouts of victory echoed the hall as as huge Congratulations banner appeared before all of them. The mood was joyous, everyone cheering as they've finally beaten the first boss, proving to Akihiko Kayaba and to themselves that this game can be beaten.

Meanwhile Kirito was kneeling on the ground, his feelings mixed; he was truly happy that they had beaten the boss, the first victory in many battles to come. To top it off, he got the last attacking bonus netting him the item [Coat of Midnight]. Yet, it came at a price: the fall of a Beta-tester who could've made a difference: Diabel.

"Good job." He looked up to see Asuna, Agil, Mio and Taiga standing over him.

"That was excellent swordplay." Agil agreed.

"Excellent?!" Taiga looked at the big guy incredulously "That was frickin' amazing! They way you handled that guy, slashing all over the place! I mean...man!"

"What Taiga's trying to say is that you what you did was unbelievable." Mio explained when he saw Kirito's puzzled face, then turned to Asuna with a smile "You too, Asuna-san."

The other girl smiled and gave Mio a nod. Meanwhile, all the other players present were cheering and clapping for Kirito, the man who had taken down [Illfang the Kobold Lord]

Well, all except one.

"Why?!" All turned to see Kibaou in a seated position, crying his eyes out "Why did you let Diabel die?!"

"What the hell is he talking about now?" Taiga groaned, bracing herself for another outburst.

"Don't screw around!" Kibaou continued his tirade "You knew about the boss' technique! If you had told us about it up front, he wouldn't have died!"

"Don't be silly!" The usually shy Mio spoke up, the battle having awakened her determination "He didn't know! No one did! It was different from the beta!"

"He must be from the beta!" One player pointed an accusing finger at Kirito "That's how he knew all the boss' attack patterns! He knew but he didn't tell us!"

"He didn't, you idiots!" Taiga yelled back, but her words fell on deaf ears. Many of the players present have already given in to paranoia.

"There are other beta-testers, are there?!" The earlier player yelled "Come out!"

Asuna, Agil, Taiga and Mio looked around. Things were grim as each player present looked at the others accusingly, as if expecting them to stab them in the back any moment.

"This is bad." Mio said to the others quietly.

"I know." Taiga answered, watching the events unfold. _Damn Kibaou_, she thought as she clenched her fists tightly_ We had a good thing here, and you ruined it..._

"Hey, take it easy." Agil said calmly as he and Asuna moved to talk to him, but were stopped when they heard the sound of laughter.

All turned to the source of the sound: A smirking Kirito.

"Beta-testers?" He snorted as he stood up "Please don't compare me to those scrubs."

"What's he saying?" Mio asked, genuinely shocked by what she was seeing.

"Out of the thousand beta-testers, most of them didn't even know how to level up." Kirito continued, walking among the midst of the players. "You guys are much better than them."

"I know what he's doing." Taiga whispered to Mio

"What is it?" She whispered back.

"But I'm nothing like them." Kirito then pointed upwards "I made it farther than anyone else. I knew about the boss' attack patterns because I fought monsters with katana skills on floors above this one."

He faced them with an evil-smirk "I know a lot more. More than any information broker."

"He's setting himself up to take the fall." Taiga, her eyes narrowing in anger, said to an astonished Mio "To protect the other beta-testers."

"You're worse than a beta-tester!" Kibaou shouted at him "You're a cheater!"

Many of the players were roaring in agreement. Mio was about to say something when Taiga shushed her, frowning as she shook her head.

"A beta-tester and a cheater!" One player shouted out "A beater!"

"A beater, huh? It has a nice ring to it." Kirito smirked as he accessed his inventory "Yes, I am a beater. From now on, please don't confuse me with other beta-testers." With that, he equipped the [Coat of Midnight] he won, the black cloak making him look the part of the villain he chose to play. With one final smirk at Kibaou, he turned his back on the assembled players and walked towards the exit.

"I can't see your lifebars anymore..." Mio observed quietly "He must've disbanded the party..."

As soon as he left, with Asuna following after him, Taiga chose this moment to let out her frustrations. She hurriedly walked up to Kibaou and slapped him on the face. The slap was powerful enough to take him off his feet.

"Ow..." He whined as he nursed his cheek, which had a huge mark left by the slap.

"I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, YOU UNGRATEFUL JERK!" Taiga yelled at him, her eyes so full of venom that it instantly silenced the guy. With that, she stormed off and made a beeline for the exit.

"Thank you for your help, Agil-san." Mio gave the burly axe-man a polite bow before following after Taiga.

"Those four kids will make big waves towards the endgame." Agil chuckled as he mused all this to himself.

~0~

Floor 2. An hour later...

"I still can't believe you blew your top off like that, Ricchan." Mio chuckled as she walked beside her friend at the village streets "You're always so easy-going."

"They way that jerk talks about Kirto-kun and the beta-testers," Taiga growled as she bit into a piece of bread she bought, imagining that it was Kibaou's head "It's not fair. Oh, and I keep telling you, it's Taiga here!"

"Oh, so it's Kirito-_kun _now, huh?" Mio gave her friend a knowing smirk. This caused Taiga to blush profusely.

"N-no it's not like that at all! I'm just worried about him, that's all!" Taiga stuttered, which caused her to choke on her bread. The fact that she was flailing her arms as she did so made the sight even more hilarious. "You're won to talk, being all shy around him back at the meeting!"

"At least I didn't call him 'Kirito-_**kun**_'." Mio smirked as she patted her friend's back, laying heavy emphasis on term of endearment.

"Fine, you win." Taiga sighed in defeat, able to breath easy after downing some water "I wonder, though. Will he be okay?"

"He's been a beta-tester." Mio said as she took a drink from a bottle "And seemed to know what he was doing. So, yeah, I think he'll be fine."

Taiga nodded in agreement, taking out a bottle of cream she won from a quest, applying some to her bread before she took a bite. They stayed quiet for a while, walking peacefully to the town square.

"Mio-san! Taiga-san! Wait up!"

They both turned to see the slender, strawberry-blonde girl with a rapier from the first floor running towards them.

"Oh, Asuna-san." Mio said as she saw her, surprised but generally happy to see the girl again.

"Yo!" Taiga grinned as she greeted her with a wave "What brings you here?"

"Is it okay if I join you guys for a bit? Like, a party?" Asuna asked them, still panting from running.

"Uhm, sure." Mio looked at Taiga with uncertainty,who just shrugged. "Just curious, but why do you want to join us?"

"Something Kirito-san told me before he went ahead." Asuna smiled sweetly at the two "That there are limits to what a solo player an do. He told me to join a guild if ever I got invited by someone I trust."

"But we're not a guild." Taiga explained, her eyebrows raising.

"I know." Asuna laughed "But I know I can trust you two. So, I'd like to join you guys. That is, if you'll have me."

Mio and Taiga glanced at each other. After a moment, they both smiled in agreement.

"You can come along." Mio smiled at the rapier wielding girl. "We can use an extra pair of arms on our team."

"Alright!" Taiga grinned as she hugged Asuna "Welcome aboard, Asuna-chan!"

"T-thanks." The girl laughed nervously as Taiga held her tightly "I hope we can get along..."

"Oh, sorry!" Taiga let go upon realizing that she was choking the new recruit.

"Be more careful next time, Taiga!" Mio bonked her oldest friend on head, causing her to wince in pain.

"Hey, that hurt!" Taiga whined as she rubbed her head,

"Not my fault you were smothering Asuna-san!" Mio smirked, not looking at all remorseful for causing her friend pain.

"Meanie!"

"Baka!"

Asuna was watching all this unfold, and laughed heartily. This caused Mio and Taiga to stop their bickering and, after a while, they began to laugh along as well.

"So, what's the plan, fearless leader?" Asuna giggled, joining along with their banter.

"Isn't it obvious?" Taiga grinned as she put an arm around each of them. "We'll keep beating the bosses. We'll beat each and everyone of 'em until we win this game! We'll come home, meet up in real life, and have some victory party after!"

"Sounds good." Mio smiled, admiring her childhood friend's determination. Asuna nodded in agreement, looking forward to working with these two girls.

The three of them then looked towards the horizon, ready to face whatever awaited them at the tower. Taiga had only one thought in her head.

_Akihiko Kayaba...We're coming for you!_

**End Chapter 3**

_A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached the conclusion to the Floor One arc. If you've been following this fic, glad you all stuck around! There will be many more adventures for the girls in the coming future, but for now, just enjoy re-reading the first three chappies for the mean time._

_Oh, and to clarify, Taiga is Ritsu's IGN (In-game Name). Sorry if that confused any of y'all. XP_

_And on that note, see you all until the next chapter!_

_Next time in K-Online: Don't Say Lazy!_


	4. Chapter 4: Don't Say Lazy

_Disclaimer: I don't own K-On. Neither do I own SAO. That is all.:D_

KingofBeasts Productions Presents:

_**K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover**_

**Chapter 4: Don't Say Lazy**

_**December 16, 2022. 2nd Floor: Urbus**_

"So, how do you and Mio-san know each other in real life, Taiga-san?"

Asuna had been meaning to ask Taiga that question for awhile now. She had been with them a full two weeks since they've cleared the Floor 1, and she really wanted to get to know her new comrades.

"We're childhood friends, her and I." Taiga laughed as she reclined on her chair. They've been fortunate enough to get a good room in the town they were staying in "She was always such a scaredy cat. Even up to college she still gets scared at horror movies and blood."

"Oh..." Asuna said thoughtfully "That explains a lot." She thought of what happened over the week; the black-haired beauty being unable to move when they faced that slime monster (note, she wasn't in paralysis), the time she passed out when a jack-in-the-box kind of monster burst from a treasure chest she opened, and not to mention that incident with when they wandered through that graveyard by themselves. Mio as still clinging to her for dear life after they passed through.

"It does. I usually scare her for kicks." Taiga chuckled, shifting her weight slightly to relax in her chair. On the table before her were a teapot, three teacups, and assorted treats arranged on a plate.

"That's not very nice, Taiga." Asuna said as she shook her head. The girl with the long, flowing chestnut brown hair sighed, finding her new companions a bit strange.

"Seriously though," Taiga said thoughtfully, her body relaxing a little as she grabbed a cookie and took a bite"She may be terribly shy, but when it counts, Mio really comes through."

"Oh?" Asuna smiled as he sat beside Taiga, interested in her story.

"Yeah," Taiga continued "There was that one time, during our High School festival, we were going to perform with our band and she had to take lead vocals. She was so terrified that she was shaking like a leaf all the way. Still, she did great...Though something funny happened afterward." She giggled.

"Why? What happened?" Asuna asked, her curiosity piqued "Wait, you guys are in a band?"

"I'll let Mio herself answer the first question." Taiga chuckled "And yes, she and I are in the same band."

"What instrument did you play?" Asuna asked, waiting for the other girl's answer.

"Drums." Taiga grinned. "While Mio played bass."

"Ah, I see!" Asuna put a finger on her chin in thought, then smiled at Taiga "You're fortunate that you have such a close friend from real life with you in this death game. Not many people are that lucky." She smiled sadly at the other girl.

"Yeah, I am lucky." Taiga looked thoughtful, then beamed at Asuna "But you're lucky too."

"Eh?" Asuna raised an eyebrow, cocking her slightly to the left, upon hearing that statement "How so?"

"'Cause we're your friends too." Taiga simply stated without any underlying motive. Her grin was huge and goofy, much like a certain scatterbrained guitarist she knew. _I wonder how Yui's doing?_ She thought.

Asuna stayed silent at first, her brain registering Taiga's words. Finally, she let a a small smile at the other girl's direction. "Thank you, Taiga." She said, her smile radiant and glowing "I really needed that."

"No biggie, Asuna-chan." Taiga smiled softly at the rapier wielder "I'm sure Mio would tell you the same thing. Speaking of which..."

Asuna looked puzzled, then nodded in understanding, finishing Taiga's sentence for her with three words: "Where is she?"

~0~

The bassist in question was sitting by herself on a hill over looking the town. In her grasp was a [Guitar] she bought from town last week. Once she saw it being sold by one of the NPC vendors, she made a beeline for it and used whatever Col she could spare to buy the said item.

"Just because we're stuck here doesn't mean I'll give up playing music." She explained to Taiga once she bought the instrument, and that was the truth. The fact that there is a [Musical Instrument] skill mastery present made Mio even happier. Yet, she could not explain why she was so bent on improving this skill. Could it be because she doesn't want to forget the life she left behind, or perhaps more?

These thoughts were not present on her head as she strummed the [Guitar], her fingers moving dexterously as she played the instrument. "Amazing..." Mio said quietly, impressed that even delicate movements from the fingers and the telltale _twang_ from the guitar strings were captured and rendered perfectly into this virtual world. Like it or not, she had to give Kayaba Akihiko credit for having captured such complex motions into a game such as this.

Taking a deep breath, Mio took out a recording crystal and, upon activating it, began playing one of the songs she performed with Hokago Tea Time. She lost track of time; the seconds became minutes and the minutes became hours. Soon enough, the sun began to set.

"Wow, it's almost night time..." Mio said thoughtfully, then her face suddenly paled. She immediately realized that once nightfall hits, more aggressive monsters would come out. Not to mention that she was alone and it will soon be dark; a bad combination for the easily frightened Mio.

"Oh crap!" Mio hastily kept the instrument in her inventory and ran back to town as fast as her legs would carry her. Sure, she had her new sword [Curved Saber] with her, but it would prove to be of little use to her if she got surrounded.

So she kept running, her long black hair trailing behind her, until she was nearing the town gates. "I'm almost there..." She thought happily to herself. Unfortunately, those thoughts distracted her, unaware that she was about to collide with someone until it was too late. She bumped into the person with a thud and land on her butt.

"Owowow..." Mio whined as she rubbed her backside.

"Sorry about that, miss." The stranger offered his hand to her in order to help her up "I hope you're not hurt or anything."

"I-I'm okay." Mio stammered, obviously happy that it wasn't a monster. She looked up as she took his hand and her eyes widened in recognition. He had a little more armor than when they first met, but that roguish face and the red bandanna on around his brown hair were a dead giveaway.

"Klein-san, is that you?" Mio asked as she he helped her to her feet.

"Well, if it isn't Mio-san!" Klein grinned at her feet "What are you doing here at this time of day? Were you farming?"

"Farming?" Mio asked, curious as she had never heard the term before.

"It means fighting monsters for experience and Col." Klein grinned at the young girl "Is this your first MMO?"

"Mhmm..." Mio nodded, looking sheepish.

"Hey, hey. It's fine. I didn't start so well myself." Klein laughed as he patted the girl's head reassuringly, causing her to blush slightly. "Howabout I walk you back to your inn?" He asked after awhile, to which Mio answered with a nod. They walked through the town gate and began making their way to the inn Mio was staying in.

"Hey, where's your friend. Taiga was her name, right?" Klein asked.

"It is." Mio responded, walking side by side with the guy "And she's staying at the inn along with a friend we met along the way. How about you? Kirito-san told us that you were with your friends."

"You ran into Kirito?" Klein inquired, looking slightly shocked. Mio simply responded with a nod. _Damn, missed him again..._the brown-haired warrior shook himself out of his reverie and turned back to Mio

"Anyway, my friends are resting at another inn nearby. They should be fine without me. So..." Klein paused to take a questioning look at Mio "You never told me what you were doing by the gate."

"I was just doing some strolling." Mio said after a while.

"Outside of town?" Klein asked her with a raised eyebrow "You do know how dangerous it is, right?"

"Hey, I can take care of myself!" Mio retorted, the fighting spirit she awakened during the battle with the first boss brimming through the surface.

"Says the girl who got chased by a wild boar!" Klein shot back, his grin wide as he teased the raven-haired bassist.

"Is that so?" Klein's goofy grin instantly vanished when, in blink of an eye, he found Mio's curved blade pointed at his throat, the tip barely touching the skin as he felt the cold steel pressed against it. When he nervously looked at her face, she saw a glint in her eye, accompanied by a mischievous smirk.

"I-I see your point. S-sorry..." He stammered nervously, his hands raised in surrender as he did not want to get gutted by the angry raven-haired bassist. He sighed in relief when she grinned contentedly and, after pulling her sword away in one swift motion, sheathed the blade.

"Good." Mio smirked, satisfied with the results "You can make it up to me by taking me to that restaurant." She pointed to the place nearby "I hear that the chocolate cakes are good." She paused before a mischievous smile emerged from her delicate features "And expensive."

"Eeeh?!" Klein gasped in disbelief "B-but Mio-san..." He stopped when he saw Mio walk towards the restaurant before he could finish. He sighed, utterly defeated, as he went to follow the girl.

"Geez, when did she get so strong-willed?" he muttered under his breath as he submitted to her will. Little did they know that they were being followed by a hooded individual.

~0~

"Ahh!" Taiga sighed happily the moment she exited the bathroom, her hair and body wrapped in a towel "That bath felt great!"

Asuna simply nodded her head in agreement. She was clad in a white nightgown, having already taken a bath earlier. "Any word from Mio-san yet?" She asked, concern etching her features.

"Nope." Taiga answered when she checked her messages. Moments later, she received a notification and immediately checked her messages. Sure enough, it was from Mio.

_Mio: Out with Klein-san. Will be back as soon as possible ;)_

_Klein-san, huh? There will be much grilling later on. _Taiga smirked after reading the message. She opened her equipment menu and, after some presses of a button, put on beige pajamas and her signature headband.

"That was Mio." Taiga explained, flopping herself on the bed "She's out with a friend in town, so we don't have to worry about her getting jumped by mobs or anything."

"That's a relief." Asuna smiled, seating herself down on the bed beside Taiga's. "So, tell me more about your band, Taiga-san."

Seeing that she was eager to hear more about HTT, Taiga grinned "Well, you already know me, the ever lovable drummer, and our _moe_ princess Mio..."

"_Moe_?" The chestnut brown-haired girl looked puzzled at Taiga's description of her friend.

"I'll show you when we get out of here." Taiga grinned. Asuna's emotions, however, shifted upon hearing those words. Her expression softened, a hint of sadness could be found in her eyes, complimenting the slight frown on her face perftectly.

"Ne, Taiga?"

"What is it?" The other girl responded

"We are getting out of here, right?" Asuna asked, looking very unsure as she spoke the words.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Taiga turned to the other girl, surprised by her sudden melancholy.

"I-it's nothing." Asuna lied, smiling sweetly to hide her fears.

"Sorry, I'm not buying it." Taiga sat up and turned to Asuna with a stern look in her hazel eyes. "I can tell that something's eating you faster than a friend of mine eats cakes. Though if you don't feel like telling me, that's fine. I don't wanna force you to do something you don't want to do."

Asuna giggled slightly at the analogy, which Taiga took as took as a good sign. She quickly returned to her crestfallen expression afterwards. "Fine, I'll tell you." Turning to her friend with a sad smile, she began to tell her what's on her mind.

"When this game- no, this nightmare started, I was so scared. For a week, cried myself to sleep inside the inn at the beginner's town, thinking that my life was over. After that, I decided that if I'm going to die, I'll do so with my head held high. Even if I die fighting, I will not lose to this world!"

At this point, Taiga can only stare as Asuna, her light brown eyes narrowing dangerously, took a deep breath before continuing. "So I decided to fight. It came to the point that I almost killed myself more than once, but I didn't care. I was so fixated on fighting that I didn't bother to think about whether I was going to survive the next day, and yet..." those brown eyes softened, showing a hint of sadness "I'm still wondering why I'm here."

Taiga felt sorry for this girl who, before meeting her and Mio, had to wander this game alone. Sure, she made a friend in Kirito, but Taiga could see the sadness in her eyes._ If I didn't have Mio with me, I'd probably be the same way..._

Taiga rose from her bed, then sat down beside Asuna. Without any hesitation, she put an arm around the younger girl. "Oy, oy. You're not alone. Not anymore."

Asuna turned to Taiga, who had her signature grin plastered on her face "You're with us now. Me and Mio, we'll be there if you need us. As for the reason why you're here..." She paused, thinking hard on her next words, before continuing "I'm not sure why I'm in this game either. But don't worry, we'll figure it out together. So, please; try to live until we finish this game, alright?"

There was no denying that the rapier wielder had her doubts. Still, what Taiga said did give Asuna some hope. She smiled at the her and gave the brunette a slight nod. "Okay. I'll try."

"That's the spirit!" Taiga grinned as she slapped Asuna hard on the back, causing her to wince in pain.

"Yeowch! Watch it!" She whimpered, glaring at the brunette.

"Whoops, my bad!" Taiga chuckled. Relieved that her new comrade was feeling much better, she decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, about my band..."

~0~

"Now isn't this nice?"

_Nice my ass._ Klein wisely kept that thought to himself as he sat with Mio inside the local restaurant. He didn't appreciate being forced to pay for a chocolate cake that cost 200 Col. _2__00 Col! Do you know how much health potions I can buy with that? _

As much as he wanted to grumble, Klein couldn't deny that he enjoyed the company. Despite the bother she put him through, he found that he enjoyed talking with Mio. She was smart, graceful and kind, if you can get past her new-found snarkiness. Not to mention; with those grey orbs, long jet-black hair that flows with the wind, and those delicate features, she was pretty easy on the eyes...

"Uhm...are you okay, Klein-san?" He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Mio's voice "Your face just turned red."

_Damn it, Klein! Keep it together! _He shook his head, his voice stammering as he talked "I-I'm fine! N-nothing to worry about!" He laughed nervously, hoping that the girl in front of him didn't see his nervousness.

Mio, on the other hand, just shrugged her shoulders and casually scooped up a piece of chocolate cake, her expression slightly bewildered. "Okay, if you say so..."

He sighed in relief, glad that she didn't seem to notice his earlier shyness. That, or she noticed but didn't seem to care much. That, however, is besides the point.

He then began to notice something; While she was slowly savoring her cake, Mio stole glances around the room, each time with a somber expression on her face. Curious, he began to look around as well, and realized why Mio looked troubled.

She was taking a look at the others in the restaurant. Each person a player like they are. After a few moments of observation, he saw what the gray-eyed bassist saw; many of them were slouched over the seats, their faces gaunt and aged, their movements sluggish. What caught his attention the most, however, were their eyes: they were dulled and lifeless, as if a dense fog descended over them. They were devoid of any hope or peace of mind. If anything, it looked like something in them died.

"So, you see it too?" Mio asked him when she saw him glancing at the players as well.

"Yeah..." Klein, with a frown on his face, looked thoughtful when he turned to Mio. After some thought, a sad smile encroached on his face "I guess this what this game does to you. No, this isn't a game anymore, isn't it?"

"You're right there. I wish we could do something for them." Mio said, scooping up a piece of rich, dark brown chocolate pastry as she observed the people around them "It's been the same story everywhere I went; people becoming so desperate that they do..." She was unable to finish her sentence, the memory of people jumping off the floating castle in desperation still fresh on her mind.

"I hear you." Klein nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. "I've seen people lose their minds in this place. Still, all that does is make you lose all hope. And hope is very important, especially now." His face broke out into a wide grin "It's the thing that keeps the ones still fighting going."

Mio laughed at his simple, yet concise answer. She admired this man's ability to look at the bright side, even in the darkest of situations "How do you do it?" her dainty lips curved into a smile as she asked him the question. "How do you keep going even if everyone around you lost hope?"

"Good question." Klein answered back, rubbing his chin in thought. "Hmm...I guess it's 'cause I think of more important things."

"Like friends and family?"

"True, but it's not just that." He continued to explain "I think about the things I love; things that are important and make me happy, which in my case, is video games and getting a girlfriend."

While Mio could definitely see his point, she could still feel an eye twitch as she gave him a questioning glare "...You're not saying this to hit on me, are you?"

"N-no, of course not!" He stammered, completely caught off guard and, flustered, said what was on his mind "T-though I-I wouldn't mind d-dating someone as pretty as you!"

"Baka!"

This earned a Klein one bonk on the head usually reserved for Taiga. As much as she enjoyed watching Klein nurse his head, Mio had to admit that Klein had a strong point. _Think about the things you love, huh?_

Suddenly, an idea came to her. It was something she could do that will not only lift her own spirits, but of those around her as well. She managed to take a glance at a couple of boxes in the corner; their shape eerily similar to a _cajon. This is perfect! _With that thought in mind, she opened her Private Messages tab and began typing.

"You're planning something."

"Yup."

"Mind telling me about it?" Klein asked out of curiousity.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Mio gave a him a knowing smile, her gray eyes twinkling in anticipation. In response, he shrugged and just took her word for it. Little did they know that the hooded figure sat a few chairs behind them, watching the raven-haired bassist intently.

"No way...it's really her."

~0~

"Ehh? You know Tsumugi-san?"

Asuna could not believe her ears when she listened to Taiga's stories about HTT. In turn, Taiga was genuinely shocked to find that Asuna knew their resident keyboardist.

"Wait, how do YOU know Mugi?"

"Our fathers happen to be good friends and occasional business partners." Asuna explained "Every so often, our families would get together for brunch. And I have to say, Tsumugi-san makes very good tea.

"That I'll have to agree with." Taiga chuckled. It was comforting to see that she and Asuna found common ground. "Mugi-chan's also one kick-ass keyboardist."

"I know. I've heard her play a couple of times." Asuna began to look thoughful "Now that you mentioned it, she did mention her band a couple of times. I can't believe you're the drummer she calls 'Ricchan'!"

"Believe it. That's just how awesome I am." Taiga grinned. She was about to say something else when the telltale chime of getting a message sounded.

"Eh, what's this?" She opened her inbox and found another message from Mio.

_Mio: Meet me at the restaurant a few blocks from here. I'll explain everything when you arrive._

"Was that from Mio-san?" Asuna inquired.

"Yup. She wants us to meet us at that restaurant nearby. Wanna come?"

Asuna contemplated on the brunette's invitation. Moments later, a grin was on her face. Her answer, clear.

"Sure, why not?"

~0~

Taiga and Asuna had to change to change from their pajamas into more casual wear before making their way to the restaurant. While Taiga wore a loose white shirt and brown trousers with boots, Asuna had a yellow sweater with a brown skirt and long boots on. As soon as they got changed, they headed for the restaurant.

"We're here!"

They saw that Mio was sitting on a stool in the middle of a makeshift stage, tuning the [Guitar] while Klein was helping her by carrying a _cajon_ to the stage. All while everyone else present didn't even notice.

"So," Taiga asked as she and Asuna came closer, a little surprised by these turn of events "What's all this?"

"Just acting on something I learned today." Mio smiled as she invited her friend to come up on stage. "I was just thinking of the things I love, and I remembered why I bought this guitar in the first place: To make music and to make people happy with it; something I know that makes me happy. So is performing with you, Ricchan."

Seeing that the Taiga was listening intently, she continued away "I want these people to have hope, the same kind of hope you've instilled in me this past month. So, how about we liven up this place, HTT style?"

For a few brief moments, Taiga gave it some thought. Once she made up her mind, she turned to her longtime friend with a huge grin. "Like you have to ask!"

She climbed up the stage while Asuna took a seat, eager to watch the performance.

"I gotta say," Taiga grinned as she sat atop the _cajon_, tapping it lightly to test it "You've become more confident in yourself, Mio. Maybe it's time to find yourself a boyfriend. One's a lot close than you think..." She glanced knowingly at Klein, who took a seat near Asuna.

This in turn, caused Mio to blush profusely. "B-baka Ritsu!"

"At least that hasn't changed." Taiga chuckled while waiting for her friend to finish tuning. "What are we singing, by the way?"

"Don't Say Lazy."

"Good choice, though it's gonna sound different from how we usually do it. You ready?"

As an answer, Mio nodded with determination.

"One, two, three, four." At the end of Taiga's countdown, she began to slap the _cajon_ to an easy, yet powerful rhythm. At the same time, Mio sang as she strummed the guitar with ease. She was no Yui, but she could hold her own with the instrument. This time, the song was done in a smooth and easy tune, not with the usual rock vibes it had.

_Please don't say "You are lazy" _

_datte hontou wa Crazy _

_hakuchoutachi wa sou _

_mienai toko de BATAashi suru n desu _

_honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi _

_zentoyouyou dashi... _

_dakara tama ni kyuukei shichau n desu_

People began to to turn their heads after hearing the first verse. While some people weren't as responsive, the fact that they were all listening intently, especially the hooded figure in the back, was a positive sign.

_kono me de shikkari misadamete _

_yukisaki chizujou MAAKU shite _

_chikamichi areba sore ga oudou _

_hashoreru tsubasa mo areba joutou_

_.._

_YABA tsume wareta GURUU de hoshuu shita _

_sore dake de nanka tasseikan _

_daiji na no wa jibun kawaigaru koto _

_jibun wo aisanakya hito mo aisenai_

..

_Please don't say "You are lazy" _

_datte hontou wa Crazy _

_nou aru taka wa sou _

_mienai toko ni PIKKU kakusu n desu _

_souzou ni isshoukenmei genjitsu wa zettaizetsumei _

_hattentochuu dashi... _

_dakara fui ni PICCHI hazureru n desu_

By the second chorus, people were already clapping their hands and/or tapping their feet to the rhythm, Asuna and Klein especially. What really got to Mio was the smiles on their faces. Genuine smiles of people with revived hope, that they could beat this game no matter what. That's what Mio had hoped to accomplished today through their music.

"Mio, let's take it home!" Taiga called as she continued slap the _cajon_ with all the might she could muster.

"Right!" Mio replied as she began the last stretch, strumming the guitar with precision.

_YABA masaka REDDO POINTO!? iya GIRI KURIA! _

_sore dake de nante zennoukan _

_daiji na no wa jibun mitometeku koto _

_jibun wo yurusanakya hito mo yurusenai_

_.._

_Please don't say "You are lazy" _

_datte hontou wa Crazy _

_hakuchoutachi wa sou _

_mienai toko de BATAashi suru n desu _

_honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi _

_zentoyouyou dashi... _

_dakara tama ni kyuukei shichau n desu_

The moment they finished the final instrumental, the small crowd was on it's feet. They applauded the two musicians (Klein and Asuna especially) who livened up their evening by giving these wayward players the hope they so desperately needed.

Needless to say, Mio and Taiga were elated to hear such applause. They knew that they have accomplished their mission, and had a hell lot of fun doing it.

"Just like old times, eh?" Taiga turned to Mio with a grin.

"Indeed." She replied with a smile, then turned to the crowd for her MC "We are Hokago Tea Time, and thank you for being such a wonderful audience!"

The cheers increased in volume, the crowd much happier after hearing such a performance.

"So it really is you..." Both Mio and Taiga turned to see the hooded figure approach the stage slowly. The stranger had an airy, squeaky voice that seemed very, very familiar to both of them.

"Eh?" The both cocked their heads to the side, looking warily at the newcomer. Asuna and Klein watched intently as well, ready to jump in should the stranger prove to be trouble.

"I've finally found you..." The hooded figure trembled, then ran straight at them like a bullet train. "RICCHAN, MIO-CHAN I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!"

Before either of the could react, they were glomped by this strange individual. As the stranger tackled them in a hug, the hood flew back, revealing a girl around their age with brown hair. She had yellow hair clips on the front and big, brown eyes that were very, very teary right now.

Once they saw her face, Mio and Taiga were able to deduce who this girl was. Their eyes widened in shock, their thoughts basically scrambled by this turn of events.

"I-it can't be..." Mio stammered, unable to believe her eyes.

"Y-Yui?!" Taiga finally managed to blurt out.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Yui Hirasawa has entered the death game.

**End Chapter 4**

_A/N: Sorry for the delay, dear readers! Been busy with real life and one other projects. But hey! Writing this chapter was definitely a fun experience. Now with the ditzy guitarist Yui Hirasawa on board, who knows what will happen?_

_Oh yeah, just one thing: This takes place after K-On! Season 2, where the seniors are already in college. Just making it clear in case anyone is confused. I also might make a side-story featuring Yui's first month on SAO. We'll just see what happens..._

_That's all from me for now. Until next chapter, this is kingofbeasts signing off!_

**Next time on K-Online: Where have you been, Yui?!**


	5. Chapter 5: Where have you been, Yui!

_Disclaimer: I don't own K-On or SAO. They belong to their respective animation companies, so...yeah. On with the show!_

KingofBeasts Productions Presents:

_**K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover**_

**Chapter 5: Where have you been, Yui?!**

"Mio-chan! Ricchan! It's so good to see you guys!" Yui joyfully exclaimed as she held both of them in a hug that felt like a trash compactor.

"So good to see you too, Yui..." Mio said weakly, she and Taiga gasping for her air while the guitarist held on for dear life.

"Oh, so sorry guys!" Yui gasped when she realized that she was crushing her friends and immediately let go, finally allowing her friends to breathe.

"Man, that was painful..." Taiga said in between breaths.

"Sorry, Ricchan. I guess I don't know my own strength..." Yui said apologetically, a huge grin plastered on her face as she scratched her head chuckled.

"To be honest, I kinda missed those hugs of yours." Taiga stated honestly, matching Yui's grin with her own. Mio smiled in agreement, though deep inside, she had mixed feelings; while it didn't sit well with her that another one of her friends was trapped in this death game, she was genuinely happy to see the ever-optimistic brunette with them.

"Uhm, what's going on?" The three of them turned to see Asuna, s bewildered expression on her face as she was left quite confused by this turn of events. By that time, Klein had already left to check on his friends, leaving the four girls alone.

"Remember when I told you about the ditzy guitarist in our band?" Taiga pointed at Yui "This is her, right here."

Grinning from ear to ear, Yui turned to regard Asuna for the first time. "Hi! My name is Yui! I hope we can get along!"

"Ah..." Asuna recalled the conversation she had with Taiga at the inn earlier. She turned to the other brunette with a gentle smile and gave a light bow. "Hi, my name's Asuna. It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too, Asu-chan!" Yui greeted her with one of her signature goofy grins.

"A-Asu-chan?" The bruntette with long flowing hair looked shocked, especially at the girl who had instantly thought of an affectionate nickname for her on the fly.

"She really is like that." Mio chuckled, then turned her attention to the guitarist. "I'm really happy that you're here, but how did you end up in this game in first place?"

"Yeah, weren't you visiting your relatives with Ui?" Taiga asked, curious and wondering why Yui was here in the first place. "And you're using your name like Mio?"

"Ehehe...I was in a hurry to see you guys, so I didn't have time to think of a name." Yui laughed sheepishly "As for how I got here..."

...

~0~

...

_**At the relative's of the Hirasawas, One month and Two weeks ago.**_

"_Ui!~" Yui rolled around the floor by the living room, since their relatives were out with their parents "Ice Creeeeeeeeaaaam!"_

"_After dinner, Onee-chan." Ui, the younger of the two sisters, gently reminded her while she was cooking. At the time, the T.V was on the news channel and the buzz regarding the new game Sword Art Online was the current story._

"_Aww, man..." The elder sister pouted in defeat. Since she had to wait patiently for her beloved frozen treat, she had to think of a way to pass the time. At first, she tried practicing "FuwaFuwa Time" on her beloved Gitah. It worked for a while, but she soon got bored after that. It was a good thing that dinner came around by the time she put Gitah down in boredom._

_The Hirasawa sisters enjoyed their dinner in relative peace, except for Yui's elation when Ui finally brought out the ice cream. After stealing a glance at the TV while devouring said treat, she remembered something important._

"_Uwah~! Mio-chan and Ricchan are in that game waiting for me right now!" With the boundless energy that she had become characteristically known for, she ran up to her room, where the Nerve Gear Mugi bought for her was waiting._

_Watching her enthusiastic sister prance up the stairs warmed Ui's heart. It was a few seconds after her Yui entered her room that the younger Hirasawa heard her cellphone ring. She ran to check it out, finding that the caller was Nodoka Manabe, an old friend of her's and Yui's. _

"_Hi, Nodoka-chan! How are-"_

"_Ui! Is your sister there?! Has she used the Nerve Gear?!"_

_Whatever happened next was all a blur to Ui. She was able to pick up something about microwaves in what the bespectacled girl said, but one thing she said remained crystal clear to her as she practically ran up the stairs:_

"_Whatever you do, make sure Yui does NOT put on the Nerve Gear!"_

"_Onee-chan!" Ui called out desperately to her sister as she approached the room. Fortunately, the door was unlocked so she had no trouble forcing herself inside._

_The sad news was that, to her horror, Ui Hirasawa was already a little too late._

_.._

~0~

..

"Then, when I got in, the sky was red!" Yui exclaimed as she animatedly told her story

"There was red goo dripping all over the place and-"

"No!" The three of them turned to see Mio cowering in a corner, shivering in fear.

"Oi, where did your earlier confidence go?" Taiga asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Anyway..." The brunette with shoulder-length hair continued "By the time I got there, the huge guy with a cloak was saying scary things like 'You're trapped in this game forever! Mwahaha!' or something like that. And now, here I am."

"Uhm...I'm pretty sure he didn't say that." Asuna laughed at Yui's way of telling her story. For some odd reason, she found that she liked being around this plucky girl, and had a feeling that they would be good friends.

"How about we get some rest for the time being?" Mio suggested once she snapped out of it "It's been a long night, and no doubt we're going to have a longer day tomorrow."

"_She recovered quickly!"_ The three of them exclaimed in their heads once she got to her feet.

"I agree with her, though." Taiga said after recovering from the shock "We're gonna be spending the day killing stuff tomorrow, so we might as well get all the sleep we can get."

"Right, Captain!" Yui give Taiga her best salute, her pseudo-seriousness making her look adorable.

"Glad you understand, Private!" the drummer fired back with a grin. Mio laughed while watching this. It was indeed a delight to see Yui again. How she had missed the plucky guitarist and her sunny outlook on life.

"You guys are something, you know that?" Asuna smiled as she joined the others in leaving the restaurant and walking back to the inn.

..

~0~

..

_**December 17, 2022. 2nd Floor: Urbus. 9 am, The Next Day.**_

"Yui, Wake up!"

"It's saturday, Ui..." Yui lazily swatted Asuna's hand away, unwilling to rouse herself from her slumber.

"Yui, there's cake!" Taiga tried to bribe the guitarist with her well-known kryptonite: sweets.

"Really?! Where?!" The brunette shot straight up from her slumber, only to find that there was no cake. "Liar." she pouted "There's no cake..."

"Sorry, Yui. It was the only way to get you up." Mio giggled while watching her struggle to get off her bed.

"Don't worry, we'll get cake later after we're done." Taiga assured Yui, who suddenly burst into life as she practically jumped off the bed highly motivated.

"CAAAAAAKE!" was Yui's battle cry for the day.

Meanwhile, Asuna could only stare in disbelief as the brunette, who was a lifeless heap earlier, act as if struck like a lightning bolt. "Is she always like this?" She asked Mio.

"Yes, she is." The raven-haired girl laughed softly "You should see her during band practice. She always slacks off and only budges when food is involved."

"She does have her moments though." Taiga grinned at the still skeptical Asuna "You'll see what we mean when the time comes."

"Ready to go!" Yui exuberantly declared, now clad a brown leather vest with a white shirt underneath, light brown trousers and black boots. On her back she slung a sword big enough to be of the one-handed variety.

The others nodded in agreement; Taiga was clad with a slightly sturdier version of the breastplate she wore a few weeks ago and had long since replaced her [Whacker] with a [Spiked Mace] she bought from the shop. Mio and Asuna still had the same gear they had on, although there were small changes, like Mio's new [Curved Saber] and Asuna's [Wind Fleuret] strapped securely around their waists.

"Alright!" declared Taiga "Let's move out!"

"Wait! Let's have breakfast first!" Yui cried out, her stomach grumbling due to her hunger.

This caused both Mio and Asuna to sigh in exasperation. Taiga, however, just laughed it off and a huge grin was plastered on her face.

"Some things never change."

~0~

Thankfully, breakfast didn't take too long (even though Yui went for seconds) and they were on the road towards the gate, eager to farm some levels and col.

"I'm looking forward to bashing things today!" Taiga exclaimed, slinging her mace over her shoulders. "Hey, Mio! Think we'll run into some slimes today?"

"I-I hope not..." Mio stammered, her courage wavering.

"You mean those green blobs that jiggle when you hit them?" Yui asked with her signature sunny smile "They're so cute when they jiggle!"

"Please take this seriously, Yui..." Asuna shook her head, obviously not as used to the the girl's eccentricity as the other two.

"Aww, don't be like that, Asu-chan." the brunette answered back with her high pitched voice "I'm taking this as seriously as much as you guys are. I mean, I've survived on my own for a month after all..."

"She's got a point." Taiga patted 'Asu-chan' on the shoulder "'Sides, Yui's the kind of person that becomes unimaginably focused if she wants something. Ain't that right, Mio?"

She turned only to find that her childhood friend wasn't beside her. They all looked back to find a cowering Mio crouched down, her skin paler than usual, mutter "I don't wanna see, I don't wanna see." over and over.

"I think you broke Mio-chan." Yui stated bluntly.

"I swear, it's like I'm watching a comedy skit." Asuna shook her head, wondering what she got herself into when she teamed up with them. Nonetheless, she found their camaraderie amusing, if not heartwarming. _'Even though they're trapped in this game, they can still put a smile on their faces and continue to see the good things in life.'_ she though with a smile as she watched Taiga and Yui try to snap Mio out of it. '_Thanks to them, I can keep going. All the way until the end of the game. I'm glad that I met them. I really am.'_

It was after Mio finally recovered from her shock that a scream was heard.

"What was that?" Taiga asked the others, who began looking around for the source of the noise.

"It came from the town square!" Asuna said as she ran there, the other three following closely behind.

"You don't think a monster came in, do you?" Mio asked, visibly scared but doing her best to keep a cool head.

"Not likely!" Taiga called as she struggled to keep pace, having the lowest AGI stat among the four of them. "Like it or not, this game's pretty fair when it comes to Monster AI!"

"So what could have happened then?" Yui asked as she ran with them.

"We're about to find out." Asuna answered as they got to the source of the commotion.

There, they saw a girl around Asuna's age, with short hair with a bluish tint and mostly clad in blue, hugging what looks like a basket of potions tightly while being harassed by four men in black-tinted armor and army green cloaks. Mio, Taiga and Asuna were able to recognize one of them; the porcupine-styled hair and cocky smirk were images burned into their minds.

"Kibaou..." Taiga growled as she narrowed her eyes venomously.

"You know that guy?" Yui asked her enraged friend "His head looks like a cactus."

"Let's just say we have a history." Mio said calmly, fixing a cold glare at him. "Let's just see what happens first..."

"D-don't!" The terrified girl shivered while holding on the health potions for dear life "I need these for my friends! Just take my col instead, just don't take my potions!"

"No can do, missy!" Kibaou gave a leering grin "Ya see, we need as many resources as we can to clear the second floor so that we can all get outta here. Your potions happen to be one of those things we need."

"Yeah!" the other goon agreed "If ya wanna get out of this game faster, then hand those potions over!"

He reached out to grab the potions the girl was holding, which began a tug-of-war as each party refused to yield.

"We have to do something!" Asuna whispered to the others when she saw no one from crowd that gathered due to the commotion do anything.

"Agreed." Mio nodded, Taiga and Yui as well, as they stepped forward to confront the bully.

"P-please..." the girl pleaded while holding on for dear life. "Don't do this..."

"OI! Didn't you hear the lady? Let those potions go!"

The four thugs turned to see Taiga, flanked by Asuna, Mio and Yui, stand before them defiantly.

"If it isn't that little brat." Kibaou hissed "I never forgot that slap you gave me!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Taiga taunted with a wicked smile.

"You should know better than to extort resources from a helpless girl, Kibaou." Mio reasoned, her tone serious, as she and Asuna tended to the girl. "Are you alright?"

"I-I think so." The meek girl they were terrorizing answered.

"Extortion? We're just simply getting the much needed support from the lower-leveled players." Kibaou responded with a sneer "We all need to be in equal footing in order to finish this game, you know."

"Don't give me that 'equality' crap!" Taiga shot back in anger "You're just trying to hog all the resources for yourself under the guise of clearing the game. Honestly, you're worse than those 'beta-testers' you keep harping on about!"

"Don't compare me to those cheaters!" Kibaou shouted back at her, losing his temper "Those guys never did anything for anybody! They just took off on the first day to leave everyone to die!"

Yui, who had just been watching the entire time, remembered a conversation she had with a friend a few days ago before they parted ways

..

"_You're leaving? But why?"_

"_It's dangerous for you to hang around, since I'm a beater."_

"_A beater?"_

"_A combination of a beta-tester and a cheater. To many people, I'm just a guy who cheats to win the game. A guy who's only in it for himself. _

"_But that's not-"_

"_That's why I must leave you, for your own safety."_

"_No! I-it's not fair! You're not a bad guy! You've been so nice to me, teaching me everything I need to learn to survive! If it weren't for you, I would be all alone..."_

"_Thank you, Yui. I really appreciate it. You remind me so much of someone I know."_

"_Please, don't leave..."_

"_Good bye. Let's meet again in real life, okay?"_

"_H-hai..."_

_.._

Yui snapped out of her reverie, tears trickling down her cheeks at the memory. '_It's been three days since then, huh?' _She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes before the others could see. Thankfully, Taiga was busy getting in a heated dispute with the cactus head while Asuna and Mio were tending to the fallen girl and thus had not seen Yui cry.

_'Not all beta-testers are bad. Definitely not him.'_ the brunette turned to Kibaou with renewed determination. _'He was nice to me. He was a really good friend, and I'm not letting this guy insult him!'_

"Excuse me, cactus-san?" All turned to see that the girl who had been quiet the entire time spoke with her usual radiant tone "How about we settle this with a duel?"

"A duel?" Kibaou looked at the girl questioningly.

"Yes." Yui continued "If we win, you leave this girl alone, and never bother her again."

"And if I win?"

"You can take the potions, and my sword." Yui replied confidently.

"So I take that you'll be the one dueling me?"

"Yup."

"Deal!" Kibaou grinned evilly, then turned to his men "Back off boys. This girlie's mine!"

"Yui, are you nuts?!" Taiga looked at the brunette "He may not look like much, but he's taken on a boss before!"

"You really should have thought this true." Asuna agreed "I've seen him in action before, and he's pretty strong."

"Don't worry guys" Yui told the other with her signature goofy grin "I know what I'm doing."

_'I worry when you say we don't need to worry' _Mio thought as she watched Yui accept the duel request that was sent to her. While she had her usual sunny disposition, she happened notice something else in her friend's chocolate eyes. They did not have the same jolly glint, but instead, the bassist saw a fire that continued to burn with increased intensity.

_'Wow, she's serious about this.' _Upon that revelation, Mio turned to the other two who were still protesting Yui's choice. "It's okay," She began "We just need to trust Yui. I know she's a bit of a goof, she pulls through when it counts."

After some thought, Taiga knew how right Mio was; not only had she snagged a perfect score in a test at one point, but the girl had performed flawlessly in their live shows time and time again. Upon this realization, she chuckled while shaking her head "You got that right! Let's see how Yui will handle this."

Asuna was about to open her mouth to protest, since she knew Yui the least, but when she saw the faith these two were willing to put in her, she let it go. "Very well." Asuna sighed in defeat "Let's see how it goes."

"Thanks, Mio-chan." The brunette nodded gratefully towards her companions before turning to Kibaou, who had unsheathed his [Wolf's Fang], a two-handed sword he got from a drop. Meanwhile, Yui had drew her own sword. It was silver around the guard and jagged near the hilt, but was straight the rest of the way.

"You're gonna regret messing with me, little girl!" He sneered at her. He was confident that he picked an easy opponent. He believed that he would have harder time facing any of the other three, so he sized her up as the weak link, seeing as she didn't look so threatening compared to her friends.

Still, both combatants steeled themselves as the timer wound down. Each of them went into a battle stance, measuring the other as they waited for the clock to reach zero. All while their comrades watched in anticipation. Mio believed in Yui, she really did._ 'But that does not stop me from being nervous.'_

The instant the timer hit zero, the battle had begun.

Kibaou made the first move, rushing towards his opponent and bringing down his broadsword with a vicious vertical strike. Anticipating this, Yui shifted her body to the right for a clean dodge. Using this opening, she swung her sword a horizontal arc that left a cut on her opponent's cheek and chipping away at some of his life bar.

"She's fast!" exclaimed an astonished Asuna, amazed by Yui's reaction time.

"Why you little-!" He attempted to swing his sword upwards while Yui was in a vulnerable position. Fortunately, she was quick enough to jump back before the blade could reach her.

"Too slow, porcupine-san!" Yui teased while sticking her tongue out.

_'Way to make him angry, Yui.' _All three of thought while chuckling nervously.

"Feisty one aren't we?!" Kibaou, desperately trying to keep his cool, charged at his opponent. He swung in three consecutive arcs, all of which were dodged by the brunette. He thought he had her wide open after she avoided his third attack, so he went for an upward thrust aimed at her head. Yet Yui was simply able lean back and evade his attack once again. Seeing yet another opening, she casually swatted his blade aside with her own and nicked his torso before darting away from his reach again.

"I'd thought you'd be a lot scarier, Mr. Cactus." Yui said as she scratched her head in a bewildered state.

"I guess I was wrong."

"Are you making him angry on purpose?!" Taiga yelled from the sidelines.

"Sorry, Ricchan." Yui giggled mischievously

"Shut up!" Kibaou, having already been flustered, was just about to lose it. He stomps his way towards Yui yet again. This time, he swung wildly, hoping that any of them would hit his target. Unfortunately for him, all the Yui did was dodge his weapon effortlessly, or parry it with her sword. Whenever she chance, she'd come close and make an accurate strike before jumping out of his reach.

"Why can't you stay still?!" He whined after Yui's recent hit-and-run assault.

"I have to admit, she's doing great." Mio said while observing the match "And I can see what she's trying to do."

"What would that be?" Asuna asked, interested in what the bassist had to say.

"Yeah, I'm curious too." Taiga joined in as well.

"If you noticed," Mio directed their attention to the fight "She is at a range disadvantage due to his bigger weapon. So she can't go for a direct approach."

"I see!" Asuna perked up in realization "So making him lose it was part of her plan?"

"That's right." Mio nodded at the fencer "Now that his temper is lost, he'll be easier to read. All Yui has to do is wait for him to make a big mistake...

"Then go for the win!" Taiga exclaimed joyfully "Nice one, Yui!"

Yui briefly turned to the three to give a peace sign and one of her goofy grins before turning her attention back to Kibaou. She noticed that his life bar nearly down to half, which meant all she needed was one strike before she could win the duel.

Kibaou realized this as well, which made him even more desperate. "You're going down!" He roared as he began to charge up his blade for a Sword Skill. In response, Yui met his, readying her own Sword Skill. By all accounts, it looked as if she was going for a full frontal assault.

"Yui, what are you doing?!" Taiga yelled, worried that her friend may have made an unnecessary risk.

"Don't worry." Mio patted her friend's shoulder with a smile "She's got this."

"You're done!" Kibaou roared as he was ready the thrust his sword into her. For a moment, it looked as if Kibaou was going to land the potentially damaging hit and end the duel. It was at that moment Yui spun gracefully on her left foot, evading the attack beautifully.

"Sugoi..." Taiga was dumbstruck, in complete disbelief at watch she witnessed.

"Wh-what?!" Kibaou said in disbelief, so sure that he would hit her. Now he found himself in a disadvantageous position: not only was he wide open, the delay in using a botched Sword Skill will mean that he wouldn't be able to recover in time.

In other words, Yui had him right where she wanted him.

"Yaaah!" With a mighty battle cry (which sounded way too cute for this writer and some of the bystanders watching) Yui executed a [Sonic Leap] that sent the porcupine head crashing into a wall. Needless to say, the blow brought his HP down to half, effectively ending the duel in Yui's favor.

"She did it!" Taiga pumped her fist in victory, turning to her two compatriots with a smile on her face.

"She sure did." Asuna agreed "She's probably one of the better players I've seen."

Yui took a deep breath before sheathing her blade. Satisfied with Kibaou with her usual radiant demeanor "So, are you going to leave the girl alone now?"

"I...I..." Kibaou stammered, unable to think of what to say. His cohorts helped him up to his feet and together they made a getaway. "I won't forget this kid!" he shouted as he left.

"That was some pretty sick fighting, Yui!" Taiga said as she, Asuna and Mio approached their friend "Where did you learn how to do all that?"

"From I guy I hung out with two weeks ago." Yui grinned while modestly scratching her head "He taught me a lot of things."

"Uhm..." they all turned to see the girl they rescued, still clinging on to her health potions, approach them. "Thank you for your help today. If it weren't for you, I would have lost all those potions I bought with my money."

"Hey it's no big deal." Mio smiled at the girl "It's a pleasure to help you, Miss..."

"Sachi." The girl bowed respectfully "My name is Sachi."

"I'm Mio, this is Taiga" The bassist point to her friend, then motioned to the others "This Yui and Asuna. We're all friends trying to survive this game."

"It's so nice to meet you all, and thanks again for helping." Sachi gave a slight bow before jolting up straight "Oh no! Keita and the others might be worried about me by now." She held on her basket and began running towards one of the inns "Thanks again, and it was nice meeting you!" she called back to them as she left.

"Bye!" All three of them called back to her. To say that it had been an eventful morning would be quite an understatement.

"So...shall we go out to farm?" Taiga suggested as she brandished her mace.

"Can we eat lunch first?" Yui whined "I did a lot of fighting earlier, and it made me I'm hungry..."

This caused all three of them to sigh. She did prove her mettle today, showing that she can be resilient and can understand the situation the best she can, so getting lunch would be a reward for them.

"Fine, you win Yui." Mio shook her head laughing "Let's go get something to eat."

"Yeeeey!" Yui cheered as she made a beeline for the nearest restaurant with Mio and Taiga trying catch up with her. This left Asuna behind, trailing after them as she was lost in her own thoughts.

_'That style...' _Asuna thought_ 'The way she moved, the way she held her sword...It's just so familiar some how. In fact, she fights like him. Could it be..._

The chestnut tinted haired girl shook of those thoughts then quickened her pace and caught up with the others. Little did she know that her assumptions would prove to be true.

..

**End Chapter 4**

_A/N: Whew! I'm finally done with the latest chapter. Sorry if Yui was a bit OOC. Regardless, I had so much fun writing her parts!_

_To all who have been following this fic, I thank you for your patience and I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story! There so much more to be discovered, so I hope you all stay until the end of this journey!_

_Yui: Hai!_

_Wah! Yui, what are you doing here?!_

_Yui: Deadpool-san told me that he did this all the time, so I wanted to try it out too!_

_I swear, I'll give 'Pool an earful when I resume my HIS fanfic...Anyway, since this just about wraps it up, Yui will do the honor of announcing the next chapter's title!_

_Yui: Hai! _**Next Time on K-Online: U&!**


	6. Chapter 6: U&I

___Disclaimer: I don't own K-On or SAO. The world would be in trouble if I did..._

KingofBeasts Productions Presents:

**__****K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover**

**Chapter 6: U&I**

December 31, 2022. 5th Floor: Lothos. 8 am

It was a new day in Aincrad, a day that would mark the end of the year.

Still, it was pretty unusual to see Yui up and at 'em at this time of day. Yet, here she was, sitting on a bench near the town square dutifully tuning her [Sunburst Guitar], a rare item she won (with help) from a quest, like she would with Gitah. What undoubtedly drew her to this item was that it resembled her old guitar; right from the bright orange body to the mahogany colored fingerboard. Even the twang every time she tugged the strings sounded very much like Gibson Les Paul she left behind.

"Yosh!" the brunette said determinedly as she made one final tune-up to her instrument. She was, at last, ready to play. After a moment of deliberation, she began strumming an instrumental version of "Love is a Stapler". The music produced was clean and, much like the one who was playing, upbeat and vibrant. Every strum seemed to have a refreshing effect on those few who were up early to stop and listen.

Her reason for being up this early to play? She was there during Mio's performance back at the 2nd Floor. Back then, she was feeling as hopeless as the people gathered in that restaurant were, nearly giving up on finishing the game after her 'mentor' had left her. When she caught sight of Mio entering the restaurant, she wanted to be sure that it was really her friend and ended up following her. The appearance of Taiga/Ritsu and their playing of "Don't Say Lazy" was enough affirmation that her guess was correct.

Hearing their song, and watching her old friends have fun playing it, gave Yui not only a measure of hope, but something to look forward to; when they finally escape Sword Art Online, she'll have a lot of stories to tell her friends. Of the food she ate, of the victories they've won, and of the friends they've made.

_'Everyone, wait for us.' _the guitarist thought as she continued to playing "Gitah II", nicknamed in honor of her original instrument _'We'll be home soon!'_

"Bravo! Encore!" A deep voice that spoke the words in English caught Yui's attention as she stopped in mid-song. She looked up from her guitar to see a big, dark-skinned, bearlike man with bald head and a beard on his chin.

_'A foreigner!' _Yui got flustered, unsure whether the man understood Japanese or not. "U-hm...Z-zank yu beri matz, sir!" In the end, she decided to try and speak English, which sounded quite broken.

"Now, now..." The man spoke in Japanese as he patted Yui's head "Don't strain yourself just so you can talk to little ol' me. By the way, that's some slick playing you did there."

"Arigatou, ojisan!" The brunette grinned up at him "My name is Yui! May I know yours?"

"Name's Agil." the big man grinned as he approached the younger girl. "Is this seat taken?"

"Nope!" Yui grinned as she patted the empty spot next to her. The big man sighed as he took a seat beside the guitarist.

"How long have you been playing?" Agil asked "Surely, you must have been playing for a while to have gotten this good."

"Oh, just about four years." was the reply of the peppy brunette.

"Pretty impressive." Agil chuckled, the giant making a deep rumbling noise as he did so. "Sure, it's not the one of the best I've heard..."

_'Way to break my confidence, Agil-san.'_ Yui thought as she sat there listening to the older man.

"However," Agil continued, giving the girl a sincere grin "You play with a lot more heart than most musicians today. That, and skill, will get you far in the music world, kid. Trust me on that."

Yui's hazel brown eyes widened in wonder. Hearing such praise made her quite happy. "Th-thank you, Agil-san!" She grinned, her smile quite huge "I'll keep getting better at this, you'll see! Me and my band are aiming for Budokan, after all!"

"Budokan, huh?" Agil smiled fondly, remembering the good shows he watched back then "I'll be looking forward to it then."

Yui nodded, the young girl perking up in glee. She wanted to talk more when both of them received notifications from the inbox.

"It's Mio-chan!" She exclaimed in delight. She flicked her finger to navigate through her menu and, sure enough, she found Mio's message.

_Mio: Yui, where are you? It's time to fight the boss, again. We'll be waiting by the town gate, so hurry up!_

"I have to go, oji-san!" Yui jovially declared as she jumped off the bench "I'm going to join my friends in the boss fight today."

"Then let me come with you." Agil grinned as he stood up as well "I just happen to be headed there myself."

"You're a front liner too?" Yui's eyes began to sparkle in awe "Sugoi!"

"You got that right!" The giant of a man chuckled, enjoying the peppy brunette's company "Howabout I tell you of my adventures while we walk?"

"Sure!"

* * *

"Did you message Yui yet?'

"I already did, Taiga. She should be here by now." Mio sighed. While showing up late was typical Yui, now was not exactly the best time. Not with the 5th Floor Boss Fight about to begin.

"I'm sure Yui-san will show up." Asuna reassured the girl with a smile "She may not look it, but I can tell that she's serious about clearing this game."

Mio could only nod at her statement. Yui's single-mindedness was legendary; when she wants something, she will be willing to go through absolute hell just to get her hands on it.

The fact that her friend had been wandering alone for a month and that she reunited with her and Taiga told the raven haired swordsman only one thing: Yui wanted to finish this game just as much as they did. All for one simple reason: She wanted to go home to the people she loved.

That served to reassure Mio somewhat as the three continued to wait for the plucky brunette to appear.

"Yoohoo!" All three turned to see Yui emerge from the town gate with another individual in tow. Mio's eyes softened in recognition, a smile showing up on her face once she saw her other friend.

"Hello, Agil-san!" The blackette bowed politely "We haven't seen you since the 1st Floor."

"'Sup?" Taiga waved with a cheerful grin while Asuna nodded in recognition.

"Oh, you know Agil-san?" Yui asked in astonishment, a little surprise that they recognize the giant oji-san she just met.

"You know, I'm not that old, kid." Agil chuckled "And yes, I do know them. Fought alongside them during the first floor."

"Man, those were good times." Taiga chuckled, resting her new [Orc King's Mace] which was a massive weapon almost as tall as Mio, on her shoulders "You were there, Mio and Asuna too, not to mention that idiot Kibaou was there too..."

"So porcupine-san fought too." Yui said thoughtfully, rubbing her hand on her chin "I can't believe his guild in the front-lines now..."

"Yeah. As if hearing his Anti-Beater diatribe wasn't bad enough. Now he's got an Army backing him." Taiga muttered, her hatred for the guy burning inside.

"Now, now, Taiga-san." Asuna giggled as she patted her friend's shoulder "At least we're getting the floors cleared in a good pace."

"That's right." Agil agreed "Like it or not, he calls the shots with his guild at the head of the Boss fight meetings."

"I know, I know." grumbled Taiga, crossing her arms in annoyance "It doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Oh, cheer up, Ricchan!" Yui exclaimed as she glomped her friend from behind. "Let's eat all the cake we want after this so that you won't feel bad, okay?"

Taiga chuckled for a moment, remember full well how Yui can make everything painful go away with just one hug.

"Fine." The brunette bruiser said with a smile, causing Mio to giggle.

"Now," Agil piped up, his deep voice reverberating "Shall we head for the meeting?"

"Right!" All four girls affirmed as they headed for the foot of the 5th Floor tower, where the meeting was being held.

* * *

At the foot of the Boss Tower.

"She's been asking for you, Ki-bou."

Kirito turned to see the tiny, whiskered information broker simply known as Argo the Rat, with a questioning look on his face. "What are you talking about, Argo?" He questioned.

"Your little _kohai._" The Rat explained "The one who hung with you for a few weeks before you blew her off."

"I only did it to protect her. You know that." Kirito said earnestly, though his heart broke when he remembered those pleading brown eyes begging him not leave that day.

"It's been a month since you actually talked to her, Ki-bou." Argo sighed "She's proven that she could take care of herself during the last few boss fights she participated in. Yet you keep using that disappearing act after the boss dies just before she realizes you are there."

"Your point?" Kirito frowned, a little annoyed by the informant's prodding.

"Why do you avoid talking to her?"

To this day, Kirito didn't know why. She already told her that being associated with him would mean nothing but trouble, but the girl didn't care at all. She was one of the few who saw good in him when so many shunned him due to his "Beater" status, and he was really thankful for that.

"_That's exactly why I left her."_ Kirito thought to himself _"I don't want that girl to get caught up in my troubles."_

"If you aren't gonna answer, I might as well scoot. My place isn't in the front lines anyway." Argo sighed after getting silence from him. "Just a word of advice, Ki-Bou: You'll be facing her sooner or later, so do it sooner."

"Yeah, yeah." Kirito shrugged in annoyance as he watched "The Rat" scurry away. She did have a very solid point, though; He knew he was going to have to face her, sooner or later.

"Why does it have to be so hard to do the right thing?" Kirito sighed as he walked towards the meeting area, where dozens of high-leveled players have gathered to plan their tactics.

As he got closer, he saw the familiar shapes of a black-haired swordswoman, a brunette fencer, a light brown haired girl with a mace and armor, and a giant of a man with an axe more imposing than the one he used during the first floor.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite loner!" Taiga chuckled as he approached them "You're just in time for the meeting!"

"Hey guys." The Black Swordsman smiled, greeting the group cheerfully "What are you guys doing out here? The meeting's going to start soon."

"We're just waiting for a friend." Asuna smiled at him warmly "She left to get something to eat."

"That's so typical of her." Mio shook her head while laughing "Always putting her stomach first."

"So, how have you been?" Agil asked as he clapped the boy's shoulder.

"Oh, you know. Farming and grinding, the usual life of a solo-player like me." Kirito shrugged then turned to the three girls "How's your alliance with each other doing?"

"It's been going great." Mio said cheerfully "We even got a new member in the process. Speaking of which," She turned when she heard the sound of footsteps "Here she comes now."

"Sorry, I'm late!" The newcomer said in her squeaky voice "There was this shop with really good noodles and-"

She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the Black Swordsman. Likewise, Kirito's eyes widened when he saw the peppy brunette, acting as if he saw a ghost.

It was a few moments that felt like an eternity, but the eventually the inevitable happened.

"KUROI-SENPAI!" Yui practically broke into a run and glomped Kirito then and there.

Varying responses happened afterward; Agil was smirking down at him, Taiga and Mio were looking at the two with shocked expressions, and Asuna...Well, let's just say a green monster within her gut manifested itself that day.

"Wait a minute!" Taiga finally spoke, pointing a finger at both of them "You two already know each other?!"

"Uhuh!" Yui nodded enthusiastically "I ran into this guy one month after I entered the game. He taught me everything I know!"

"That explains how you fight so well." Mio said thoughtfully "No wonder your fighting style seemed so familiar..."

Asuna, snapping herself out of it, heard what Yui had said and smiled; Her heart content that for a few weeks, the Black Swordsman wasn't going at it alone. "That also explains why you have an [Anneal Blade]." she added.

Kirito, in the mean time, felt conflicted. Of course, he was happy to see his number one student, but he also felt this awkwardness. He still felt bad about leaving her, and wondered if she would forgive him for that. Had he known Yui as long as Mio and Taiga have, he'd have realized that Yui wouldn't hold it against him and accept him no matter what had happened.

Still, he didn't want to talk about the time he left her. Not yet anyway.

"It's good to see you too, Yui." The black-haired boy smiled as he patted the guitarist's head gently., causing her to giggle.

Unknown to Kirito, Asuna had sensed something off with the Black Swordsman. She noticed that there was a certain sadness in his eyes whenever he looked at Yui, as if he did something to hurt her and he couldn't forgive himself. She let it slide for now, as it was not the proper time to ponder on such things.

"Now that we have that out of the way." She spoke in a commanding/motherly tone "I suggest that we head for the meeting now."

"Yeah, the sooner we finish, the sooner I can keep myself from caving Kibaou's face in." muttered Taiga as the group made their way towards the meeting place.

* * *

_Just outside the 5th Floor Boss Room within the Dungeon._

"I really hate that man."

To Taiga, these were definitely true words; out of the five who are currently in charge of handling the mobs, she hated Kibaou the most.

"Hey it could be worse," Asuna attempted to comfort the disgruntled drummer "He could've kicked us out of the raid all together. Thanks to Mio's argument, he knew how valuable we are in a raid."

"He wanted me out at least." Yui piped up, twirling her sword around in her hand "He's still sore at me kicking his butt a few weeks back."

"You beat Kibaou in a duel?" Kirito and Agil turned their heads to the brunette in shock.

"Yes, and everyone had a front row seat." Mio chuckled, having been satisfied with being the opposing voice to Kibaou and The Aincrad Liberation Corps.

"That's pretty impressive." Kirito smiled at his student "Well done."

Those words caused Yui's face to glow, her grin widening in pride when her senpai praised her.

"Mio, you're looking very satisfied with yourself." Taiga mused "Could it be that your hidden dark side is finally manifesting?"

"BAKA!" Mio gave a swift chop on Taiga's head "I'm just happy that I've been putting Kibaou in his place the past few boss meetings."

"Oh, so your evil side IS manifesting!" Asuna joked around, joining in on the teasing.

"Well her hair is dark, and she looks the part as well." Kirito put a hand on his chin, playing along as well.

"N-Not you guys too!" Mio wailed, uncomfortable with the fact that they were ganging up on her, causing everyone to laugh at the poor girl's expense.

The joking stopped quickly once the gates opened, though. Nodding towards one another, the five of them along with the rest of the raid group proceeded cautiously, expecting the boss to show up sooner or later.

Soon enough, the boss known as [Mishra, the Alpha Wolf] made it's presence known at the other end of the hall. It was werewolf as big as Illfang, with red eyes, black fur and a feral snarl. It also had claws and fangs that could easily tear it's prey to shreds, it's weapon of choice against the players.

The beast gave one mighty howl and, soon enough, it's mobs appeared. They were identified as [Dire Fangs] and their appearance was that of a miniaturized Mishra, except with brown fur. Needless to say, though four appear at a time, they were stronger than regular mobs and had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Without needing any provocation, both sides charged and battle was joined once more.

The strategy employed was similar to the one they used against Illfang; While the main groups focused on Mishra and would constantly switch to keep themselves fresh, the remaining groups would deal with the mobs.

The group made out of Kirito, Agil and the girls were doing pretty well. With Taiga and Agil, they had a solid defense that could take a huge amount of damage while Kirito, Mio, Yui and Asuna were counted on to deal as much damage as possible.

"Yui, Switch!" Kirito called to the brunette after his Sword Skill nailed a [Dire Fang], who responded by crashing into the beast with her favorite Sword Skill [Sonic Nail], killing the beast instantly.

"Nice, Yui!" Taiga gave a thumbs up before clocking one mob in the head with her mace, creating an opening both Mio and Asuna took advantage of.

"YAAAAH!" They both yelled out as rapier and saber worked in tandem to run through the wolf, taking it out of the game as well.

"Good job!" Both girls gave each other a high-five while Agil nodded in approval, noticing that they were working well together as a team.

"MOE THRUST!" Taiga joked as she watch the combo attack, only to get a thump on the head from both Mio and Asuna. "Ow, my health..."

It was after the mobs had been cleared they noticed that things were going sourly for the main group; Though Mishra's health had been drained to the point that it had one bar left, it's attack speed and movement speed increased as a result.

"Of all the times the guide book was on the money, and that pig-headed buffoon doesn't read it." Taiga groaned, shaking her head.

"Shall we save his bacon?" Agil asked the rest, who gave him a wordless affirmation as they walked towards Mishra, facing him fearlessly while other players were beginning to flee.

"LET'S GO!" All five yelled simultaneously as they began their assault.

Agil was the first to strike, charging up his axe and swung it with enough force at it's leg to cause the beast to howl in pain. Before it could even respond, Kirito and Asuna charged up Sword Skills and struck Mishra on his arms at the same time, bringing him down to half his last bar.

Taiga and Yui followed it with powerful strikes to the chest, brining the lifebar down to it's last inch. "MIO, NOW!"

From behind the two jumped Mio, her sword charged in a bright yellow light, as she held it over her head with both hands as she went for the deathblow.

"TAKE THIS!" The blackette brought down her saber with enough force to actually bifurcate the beast. She landed gracefully as her hair trailed behind her. She stood up and, after sheathing her sword, Mishra burst into millions of tiny pixels.

After that, there was a moment of silence. Then said silence was broken by Taiga's boisterous cheering.

"ALL HAIL THE DANGEROUS QUEEN!"

Mio blushed furiously, both at the nickname and after realizing that she stood out again. What's worse is that all the other players (sans Kibaou and the Army) started chanting too.

"Dangerous Queen! Dangerous Queen! Dangerous Queen!"

"Wow, looks like you're popular now, Mio." Asuna turned to the blackette, only to find that she was crouched on the floor rocking herself back and forth.

"I stood out again..." The girl moped.

"That girl doesn't like attention, does she?" Agil asked Taiga, who simply shook her head.

Yui was joining in on the cheering when she noticed Kirito slipping out of the celebrations. She felt sad watching him leave, and that he didn't want to hang out after so long.

"Go to him."

Yui turned to see Asuna, who had her usual warm smile on her face. "I noticed that he was bothered with something earlier, and I think it involves you somehow. So go talk to him. We'll just tend to our 'Dangerous Queen' for a moment, okay?"

Yui looked at Asuna with a smile that matched hers. She had a feeling that something was bugging Kirito as well, but she didn't know whether to talk to him or not. The fact that Asuna noticed it as well just gave her the much needed nudge to confront him about it.

"Thanks, Asu-chan." The brunette nodded at the chestnut haired fencer "Looks like you and Kiri-kun are perfect for each other after all."

"Wh-what did that mean?!" Asuna questioned, her face a crimson red, but Yui had already made her way out the door.

"OI, YUI!"

* * *

_7:00 PM. A hill overlooking the town, 6th Floor._

"Man, am I a coward."

Kirito sat on the grass hill, giving him a good view of the town as the black night engulfed the day sky. He had planned to talk to Yui after the boss fight and apologize for leaving her like that, but found himself to afraid to do so. So, in his usual fashion, he turned tail and snuck out of the Boss Room while everyone was praising Mio.

"Thank goodness for that distraction." He muttered.

Still, it didn't make it any easier. Argo had been right; he has to face his kohai sooner or later, or the guilt will eat him alive. In his mind, it was too late for him and Klein, but he had a good chance to fix things with Yui. He was just too scared.

"Hey, Kuroi-Senpai."

The Black Swordsman turned to see the person in question, looking like her usual cheerful self, as she smiled down at him.

"Mind if I sit here?" Yui asked, to which the swordsman nodded.

She immediately took her seat beside him and for a while, silence ensued. Kirito didn't know what to say. He wanted to say sorry to her, but didn't know how to.

"You know," Yui said, finally breaking the silence "If you're still hurt about you leaving me behind, I don't hold it against you."

"You knew?" Kirito asked, surprised that she drew the correct conclusion.

"I just guessed." Yui stated "Asu-chan just filled in the blanks for me. She was worried about you, you know."

"Oh, I see..." The boy smiled.

"Yeah, she was." Yui giggled "You've had your reasons for leaving. Granted, I was really hurt at that time, but I realized that it was the best for me too. I couldn't keep depending on you all the time."

"I'm glad you see it that way." Kirito sighed, feeling as if one of the many burdens on his shoulder was lifted.

"I wanna know, though." The brunette guitarist turned to Kirito "Why did you help me back then, anyway?"

Kirito began to blush slightly, but just took a deep breath and said it anyway "Because you remind me of my younger sister."

He waited for the laughter, but it never came. Instead, there was a soft smile on Yui's face. "It's funny. I have a younger sister too."

She looked up into the night sky with a dreamy look in her eye "It's nights like these when I think about her. How she takes good care of me, how she loves me, how she's always by my side...I'm wiling to bet that she's worried sick about me right now."

"You care a lot about your sister, huh?" Kirito smiled, though inwardly, he was saddened by the fact that he was distant with his own sister before he got trapped in S.A.O.

"I do, I even wrote a song for her." Yui smiled as she took the [Sunburst Guitar] out of her inventory "Wanna hear it?"

"Sure, by all means." Kirito smiled. After a few minutes of tuning up, she took a deep breath, then began to play the song she wrote for her little sister.

* * *

_**U&I Acoustic Version**_

_**Composer & Performer: Yui Hiirasawa**_

_If you're not around I can't do anything__  
__I long for the taste of your cooking__  
__So when you get back home__  
__I'm gonna glomp you with a great big smile_

_If you're not around I can't take it anymore__  
__I long for the sound of your voice__  
__Just being able to see you smile that would mean everything to me_

_Simply being by my side you've always given me the courage__  
__I wanna be with you forever and a day__  
__I wanna tell you that this is how I feel_

_Whether under the sun or under the rain__  
__You were always there when I needed you__  
__Whenever I close my eyes I could see your smile shining brightly__  
_

* * *

Yui played a few solo bars, allowing her guitar to do the singing for her. Kirito found the melody soothing. The lyrics, while laced with tons of food references, was a song to her sister at it's core. She wanted her around always, and was sorry for all the times she took her for granted.

"_Just like with Sugu."_ He thought himself just as Yui ended her solo which set her up for another chorus.

* * *

_Will they go straight to your heart?  
I'm not so sure of myself right now but  
Don't laugh, okay? Please listen to me  
'Cause I'm gonna put all my feelings into this song_

_I would like to give you every ounce of my gratitude_  
_And send it to you through this song_  
_This is a feeling I will never, ever forget_

_Dedicated to You_

* * *

As Yui finished her song, Kirito found that tears were flowing from his eyes. He immediately regretted not spending as much time with Sugu as he should have. He promised to himself then and there that once he escaped this game, he'll make up for the time he lost with his sister.

"Thank you, Yui." He told her as he wiped the tears from his eyes "I really needed that."

"No problem at all, Kiri-kun." Yui giggled as she stored her guitar in her inventory.

"Your sister's lucky to have you, you know."

At that, Yui gave him a soft smile and looked at the night sky "Thanks for saying that, Kiri-kun. I wonder though, did she hear my song?"

* * *

_Tokyo General Hospital._

Ui Hiirasawa woke up with a start. She looked around to see her sister Yui still in a comatose state. When she touched her cheek, she found that it was wet. She didn't realize that tears were trickling from her eyes as she slept.

"Ui-chan!" Her boyfriend, Satoshi Tainaka, walked in to see the demure girl in tears "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Satoshi-kun." She wiped her tears, then turned to her sister's sleeping form with a smile "It's just that...I thought I heard Onee-chan singing to me."

**End Chapter 6**

* * *

_A/N: FINALLY, IT IS DONE! Sorry I took so long with this chapter, but it's finally up! It took a while putting this up, but it feels so freaking rewarding to know that I've finally put it up!_

_Anyway, first order of business: If you want to hear what the acoustic version of U&I would sound like, go to this link (remove the spaces): _ www. Youtube watch? v=tyKKBw37UkE. _I suggest you listen to it while reading the part where Yui performs it. It gets you in the mood._

_Lastly, we have a message from HTT's Yui over here. Yui, if you don't mind._

_Yui: Hai! *Turns to Readers* If you're a fan of Fate/Stay Night, Fate Zero or Fate Apocrypha, go read "Clarent Blood Arthur", written by the same guy who wrote our fic. Everyone, let's support Ilya-chan and Mor-chan in their new fic!_

_Ilya: (From a distance) THANK YOUUUU!_

_*Ahem*. And on that note, we leave you with the next chapter prompt. Yui, take it away!_

_Yui: Hai! Next time on __**K-Online!: Those Who Were Left Behind.**__  
_


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